The Golden Leaves of Fall
by Evangeline.star
Summary: Follows the story of the high elf Evangeline Goldenleaf as she struggles to remember a world that maybe she didn't want to know in the first place.
1. Timely Discovery

**First serious story I've written (as in actually shown to other people), so I hope you enjoy reading it.**

**Be warned the first first few chapters may be a bit dry .**

**I do not own Warcraft or any of its variations... Unfortunately.**

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><p><strong><em>Timely Discovery<em>**

"A goodbye is never painful,

unless your never going to say hello again"

~Unknown

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><p>Dragonblight was no place for the faint hearted; battle hardened warriors from throughout the ages had lost their minds to its chilling snow and deafening winds, their lives forfeit due to the foolishness of their actions. For who in their right mind would willingly tread such a despairing land? Life was hard in the place where the dragons came to die. Usually, nothing would have stirred its macabre beauty, except for maybe the blowing of a sudden North wind, the movement of a living creature; or the movement of a – not so living creature. In the South, near the Scarlet enclave now known as "New Hearthglen", a human paused by the remnants of a once living sorceress. Her clothes singed by the trap she set off. Her hands; frozen from the spell that never left her fingers. Her deep, brown eyes, glazed with a fury she had known in life. Her face, once perhaps lovely, was now contorted with a hateful expression. The walnut hair she once reverently kept in a bun was now disheveled and strewn across her icy face. The man who had killed her looked on without emotion. But another Scarlet witch to add to the list. He called to him, a grizzly sight. A bear, nearly the size of a stag, came barreling through the undergrowth. Disease radiated off him like a plague. The human, accustomed to his pets' habitual looks and smells, grinned as he watched the bear walk up to him. Shaking his rotting pelt from side to side, the bear looked down to its master expectantly. The man, who had found the sorceress had been carrying her lunch as well as a bit of extra coin, tossed the snack to his eager friend.<p>

"We have a long path ahead of us, Tibirius, if we are to make it to Wintergarde Keep by tonight." The human stated to his munching companion. "So hurry and eat your meal, so we can be away from this accursed place."

The bear, satisfied with his full belly, turned to bolt after his master, who had begun to walk away, toward the keep that was the main base of operations of the 7th Legion. The 7th Legion, Alliance veterans from the wars of old, had grouped together in their main base, Wintergarde, to fight the never ending threat of the undead and the appalling necropolis, Naxxramas. Drawing his cape up above his head so as to cover his face, the hunter continued his trek tirelessly across the frozen wastelands. A few minutes into the walk however, something unusual happened. Tibirius started growling. His claws, scraping at the ice beneath his paws. Head, swinging to and fro, as saliva began dripping from his toothy maw. The man, turned to face his agitated companion, curiosity shining bright in his eyes.

"Tibirius. Friend, what has gotten into you? You have been jumpy ever since we left the dragon's Temple. Is something the matter?" The human turned and started to walk toward his pet, trying to calm him from his frenzy. The man paused, eyes locked with those of his bear. He knew something wasn't right, he knew by the way Tibirius salivated in his presence. The way the bear now looked at him; no longer in control of himself. His mind, quickly drifting to the conversation he had with the red dragon, Demestrasz.

_"You will not hold sway over him for much longer. The disease; it will run its course eventually. Plagued animals never last long. We have seen it many times before; he won't remember you, and he won't listen to you. He will kill you. You must put him out of his misery, he will be grateful to be at peace at last."_ The dragon had warned him. He did not listen, or rather; he did, but did not want to admit his friend had grown weak and sicker with each passing day. _"Milo, you must leave him in the woods, to die, to be freed. Promise, that you will not take him with you. I am sorry, but the Tibirius you knew no longer lives, except in our memories."_ But Milo did not listen, he did not promise. He left the Temple and, with Tibirius, went to finish the quest given to him to thin the ranks of the Scarlet Onslaught.

"Dammit! Tibirius, don't do this, I can get you some help. I can heal you! I'm your friend, Milo; I don't want to hurt you." The human tried hard to persuade the deranged pet that growled at him. Milo growled and took a step toward Tibirius, an act that would have sent the animal into a submissive pose were he not crazed. "I'm sorry to do this dear friend. You have been a faithful and loyal pet for the few years I've known you. But – It's time to say good bye." The human pulled out his bow and loaded it with one blood red arrow, decorated with feathers as black as ink. A single tear formed at the corner of Milo's glazed eyes. He pulled back, readying his shot. Tibirius grunted and looked his master in the eyes, all love he once had for the man was gone, all that remained was death. A thundering roar escaped from both the bear and the humans' mouth. And with that, the arrow flew, straight and true. Upon the deafening winds and through the chilling snow, and stuck the bear as he made a leap towards his once best friend. With a crunch, he landed in the snow; breathing his final breaths and looking around wildly, Tibirius knew it had ended. In his final moments, Tibirius saw a man dressed in mail walk away, leaving but a trail of frozen tears in his wake.

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><p>Milo walked, for hours and hours, forgetting his goal until he came across the stone keep. Removing his hood, he walked down the path leading to the inn. As he entered the somewhat small building, he immediately smelled the scent of a heavenly ham roasting on an open fire, but it made him feel sick. He tried to eat an apple, but he could not. So, he went to the innkeeper; a cheerful night elf woman named Illusia Lune, to ask for a room. Once he paid the lovely woman, he headed up to the room designated to be his. Once inside; he closed the door, removed his bags and set them aside. Tentatively, he removed his armor and set it on a wooden chair. <em>Tibirius, how could I have let this happen to you dear friend? How, could I ignore the signs? Let you suffer? I'm a monster, I hurt my best friend. The only friend I let come with me to this blasted place. I didn't deserve you, I couldn't even help you. I didn't even try…<em> As he trudged heavily toward the bed, his mind did not leave the past. Even as he pulled the delicate covers over his face, he could feel nothing but pain. And when his eyes finally shut, he had the most tormented sleep of his life.

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><p>The morning was cool, but nonetheless bright and pleasant. Milo shifted on the bed, trying to get a few more minutes of uninterrupted sleep, for he hadn't slept well at all that night. As he blinked away the sleep and allowed the dawn light to fill his tired eyes, he sighed. He could not stop thinking of Tibirius; the way he had looked at him, right before the blazing red arrow shot through his long black fur. As he sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning, the door flew open and Illusia came dancing in.<p>

"Dear, dear, you look terrible!" She exclaimed. "I know something that'll cheer you right up; a nice cup of cider and perhaps some cookies on the side."

"That won't be necessary, I plan on leaving immediately, and I have some business to attend to elsewhere. Thank you for your generosity though, miss Illusia." Milo said, somewhat anxious to be leaving the keep that was nearly always under attack by lumbering abominations and crafty ghouls.

"Ah, ah." She said while clicking her tongue. "You shouldn't go anywhere until you have something nice in your stomach. At the very least let me prepare something for your travels."

"Thank you; that would be much appreciated" Milo said with feigned enthusiasm, the death of his friend still weighing on him heavily. As the innkeeper smiled and spun away, Milo got up from bed and dressed himself in his shiny mail suit, which had defrosted from the warm night at the inn. As he exited the inn, waving to Illusia and thanking her once more, he gave himself a shake and focused his mind on more productive matters.

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><p>He stood there, staring into the eyes of the wolf he had just tamed. Its eyes playfully dancing as it stared into its new master shining gray eyes. Milo, just stared; trying hard to feel the same connection he did with Tibirius. But he could not, not yet at least. Maybe in time the wolf would become a friend to him. He watched as it playfully threw itself into a pile of snow, disappearing almost entirely due to its milky pelt. The only thing that gave it away was the big golden eyes that poked out of the snow pile. Milo smiled, the first time since Tibirius had died some days ago. As he and his wolf walked into the sparse forest he noticed a faint glimmer somewhere to his right. Normally he would have continued on his path, but at that moment Kuma dashed off from his side toward the shine. "Kuma! What has gotten into you, come here!" She did not listen, but began to dig. "Kuma… What is it?"<p>

Below the snow, lied a woman. An unconscious blood elf, lying semi buried in the snow. Milo knew he shouldn't help her. She was a member of the horde, an enemy, but with his mind drifting toward Tibirius and how he couldn't save him, he knew it didn't matter. With Kuma at his side helping him, he desperately dug the freezing woman out from beneath her snowy prison. A final tug brought the woman to the surface. "Kuma, keep her warm while I find shelter and some firewood."

By the time Milo found a cave, started a fire and came back for the unconscious blood elf and Kuma, he started having reservations. _How do I know she won't try to kill me as soon as she is well? Why am I even helping her?_ He watched as the woman slowly regained color in her cheeks, life also seemed to become more apparent as she sneezed quietly. He noticed how perfect she looked; she was really thin but also rather tall, especially for a blood elf. However, he doubted she was as delicate as she appeared. Her skin was the color of ivory and her hair was a silky honey color pulled together into a messy bun on top of her head. He squinted as he noticed her stir, bow at the ready, he held it to her face. And her eyes flew open.

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><p><strong>Mmhmm, so I'll leave it at that. Let me know what you think anf whether I should keep going or not. Yes, I know, very dry, but it gets better in the next few chapters. Sorry. <strong>

**Regards ~ EvaStar***


	2. Evangeline Goldenleaf

**Second chapter, at least twice the size of the first. Yes, I'm getting there, score!**

**Again, I don't own WoW... _But maybe someday..._**

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><p><em><strong>Evangeline Goldenleaf<strong>_

"Natures first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower, but only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf, so Eden sank to grief.

So dawn goes down to day, nothing gold can stay."

~ Robert Frost

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><p>Darkness had covered her eyes, she was so cold, but at the same time comfortable; it felt as if he were holding her in his arms. Those big arms he always used to hold her in, he knew she felt safe with him, he knew she loved him and she knew he loved her back. At least, he used to love her back, when he could love. Evangeline stirred, she was warming up, her body sighed with relief but she screamed against it. She was averse to the heat, it was foreign to her, and she did not like it. It was getting warmer and warmer, hotter and hotter, it was unbearable. She couldn't take it any longer; she wanted to bury herself in snow, to escape the warmth her body desperately needed to survive. Her eyes shot open and she stared around in amazement. <em>How did I get here? Where in Azeroth am I? This is a cave; what am I doing in a cave, the last thing I remember is running through the forests bordering Azjol Nerub and falling off a cliff. Why was I running? My memory is so fuzzy<em>. As she peered to her left she took notice of a human hunter taking aim at her head. The man stood there silently, a blood red arrow pointed directly at her head. She took note of his height, his size. She knew if this ended badly she would have to fight her way out, a prospect that was not at all nice. He was clad completely in mail, save for a cloak that covered his shoulders and back; which swayed in the light breeze of the cave. His hard face was judgemental but she saw curiosity burning deep in his eyes. This man was not to be trifled with; she, of course, could definitely hold her own, but not without injury. "Wait! I am of no threat to you, in fact I am of the alliance; there is no need for such aggression. I promise I will not hurt you!" She said putting her arms up defensively. The man stared at her reproachfully.

"Likely story Sin'dorei. Now give me one good reason not to put an arrow through your head." He said with ire dripping from his words. However, he did look at her once over to determine whether she was saying the truth or not.

"Please, I promise I am not what you think I am. I am Quel'Dorei, a high elf; I am not one of those fel sucking Sin'dorei. See, I have the blue eyes of my people, which should prove to you the truth." Evangeline said quickly while looking in the humans' eyes. Once again, he gave her the careful once over, and this time accepted her story and sat down with a thud.

"My name is Milo, I'm a human, but I guess you already assumed that." He said sarcastically as he rummaged through his bag. "Well lady, what brings you to this part of Dragonblight? You didn't seem to be doing that well considering my wolf found you buried under a foot of snow."

"My name is Evangeline – Evangeline Goldenleaf, as I said before, I'm a high elf. And I'm not quite sure why I'm here" She said with a thought. "The last thing I remember is running through the woods. I fell off a cliff, then, nothing." Milo stared at her curiously.

"Were you running from something? Perhaps a nerubian? There are many in the nearby area." He stated matter-o-factly.

"Yes, I do believe I was running from something. But I cannot remember what at the moment, though I sense it is very significant and of the utmost importance." Evangeline said with a sigh. "Why can I not remember?"

"Maybe you hit your head when you fell. That could explain why you were just lying in the snow. But if you say this 'something' is as urgent as it is, maybe you'll want to remember it? For our sake?" Milo said while throwing his head back to look at the rocky ceiling of the cave.

Evangeline narrowed her eyes as she looked at a pebble on the ground. She knew it was important and she knew it meant life or death, but, for the life of her, she could not remember. That night; as Milo and his pet wolf (that Evangeline had come to know as Kuma) slept, she meditated. She couldn't think of any other way of regaining her lost memories. And of course, meditation was not a medical choice by far, but she knew it was better than sitting and waiting for – whatever it was that was chasing her – to find them. She closed her eyes and listened to the crackling of the fireplace. Glimpses, pictures dug up directly from her subconscious began surfacing after a while.

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><p>Her nose hurt as she breathed in the cold snow, the smell of death hanging strongly in the air. "What's going on? Why am I no longer in the cave, where am I?" Evangeline heard no answers but the stagnant wind hanging in the air and the light sounds of creatures scuffling in the undergrowth. She let out a small cough. And the sounds went dead. All of them; no birds in the trees, no wind in the leaves. Pure silence.<p>

Evangeline had been wandering for days. She had no idea where she was, everything looked familiar, but there was no way to say for sure. She continued her trek down the rocky path that led to nowhere. Her breath coming out in rivers of steam. "Is anyone out there? I'm scared. Please, I don't know where I am. Milo? Are you there? Kuma, here girl!" No answers but those of her own thoughts. She grew tired after several days of walking, there was no doubt, she would die here. And she would welcome it. Evangeline fell to her knees. Her plate leggings making soft scraping noises on the rocky path. At that instant a humongous black crow flew up into the sky and back down, missing her head by an inch. Evangeline screamed. "What on earth?" She said, while trying to calm her racing heart.

"Leave, you must leave." An unknown voice whispered to her.

"Hello? Is someone there? Please, I'm lost and scared and I don't know where to go." Evangeline screamed fitfully.

"Go, go now. You must go now. He's catching up to you. You cannot rest. He never rests. He _misses_ you. He _wants_ you back. Run elf. Run before he gets you." The voice whispered to her again.

"Please, tell me what's going on I don't understand you? I don't remember anything." She pleaded with the unknown whispers. "Who's trying to catch me? Milo? Does he need me? Please you must help me." Evangeline did a double take when she heard a loud thumping come from the forest behind her. Though she could not see what made that noise, it was all too clear that it was not friendly. The voices did not respond, for they had run away. Now was Evangeline's turn to run. She sped down the rocky path that brought her nowhere. She paused to look back only to hear the continual thumping and bleak forest. The form making the sound would never appear. Her armor had become a great bother to her. It slowed her down and she could hear the thumping getting louder and louder.

"Run elf. You must escape. Escape him. He remembers. He will _always_ remember. You will never be safe unless you keep running. Never safe. Run Eva, run for your life!" The voice returned both menacing and persuading her onward.

"Where can I go? I can't run forever, I'm getting tired. What am I running from? Please, I need some answers. Please!" She shrieked. But her only answer was an empty field, for there was no one around her, nor was there anything behind her. The thumping was gone. The forest was gone. Evangeline sighed a sigh of relief. She was tired, she wanted to sleep. But a feeling in the pit of her stomach kept her awake. She walked down the beaten path. Her plate boots dragging on the ground, the smell of salt and the ocean hung around her in an embrace. "How curious. The ocean?" She questioned aloud. Eva veered off the rocky path that brought her to the field, and walked toward the water. As she looked back, wondering if she had made the best decision, she realized the path was no longer there. Nothing was there; it was as if a scene in a movie had been cut out. Scared, she ran toward the ocean, and she did not look back.

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><p>Upon crawling out of the grotto she had spent the night in, Evangeline Goldenleaf looked around in surprise. The ocean she had spent the night next to, was now completely frozen over. No more did the waves lap gracefully on the beach, the sound of the gentle waves but a memory. Now it was a barren, frozen wasteland. Cold winds lamented the isolation. For the first time in a very long time, Evangeline cried. They were not tears of pain, but of acceptance. She knew she would never leave this place. She had been here for a month now and yet she was still here. And with a final sniff of disdain for this world, Evangeline set out onto the frozen ocean.<p>

It seemed as if she were walking for hours; never stopping to rest, eat or drink. Eva knew there was nothing following her, and yet, she kept walking. In the past, if she were to have pushed her body so hard, if would have failed under the abuse. But Eva knew pain all too well; this was nothing new to her. "The most painful thing – "Eva panted in exhaustion. "About this, is that there is absolutely nothing of interest to look at. This damn snow is getting old."

She had been close to giving up. The walking was getting irksome. Her mouth was as dry as a summer in Tanaris and she was as hungry as a Devilsaur that preyed upon the creatures of Un'Goro. But there, out in the distance, where the sun touched the frozen sea, lay a hut. She could see the smoke, rising in a cloud of hope. Realization dawned on her, "That – that could be a friend. That could be help. Hey! Hey you, in the hut! Please, I'm scared, I need help! Hey!" Evangeline screamed as loud as her collapsing lungs would allow. She ran, swerving as if she had drunk a keg of Darkmoon Special Reserve. Her wobbly feet tearing through the snow as she closed in on the hut.

"Hey! Hey, is anyone in here? Hello? I need help please, I'm lost and I don't know where I am." Evangeline cried out, the physical strain put on her by screaming was too much to bear. And she fell to the ice with a smash. "Pl- Please. Please, someone, anyone. I need – I need some help, please, I need…" Unconsciousness blanketed over her body. Exposed to the elements, Evangeline Goldenleaf slept and dreamed dreams that were too pleasant; it seemed, to be her own.

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><p>Evangeline woke to the prodding of a stick. A <em>stick<em>. Her eyes fluttered open in shock, who could possibly have been poking her? Looking around, she saw she was in a makeshift hut; the very same she had tried so hard to get to. At last some good luck. The hut wasn't small by any means; in fact it was so large that the exterior must have been magically altered for it to look so small from the outside. The den had a slightly musky odor, and a slight tinge of incense which had long since burned. The walls were made of a nice, rich oak. The color of which complimented the furnishings nicely.

In the far corner, Evangeline noticed a small bed, obviously made for one person; covered with a beautiful ruby duvet. A chandelier made of antlers hung above her head so precariously that she doubted she should stay under it for too long. Continuing her inspection, Evangeline noticed several images plastered on the wall; some of animals found in the wilderness of Northerend, some others were pictures of humans and other sentient beings that had come from Azeroth in order to destroy the evils that lay up north. She gasped as she noticed one picture. That of a beautiful high elf paladin, dressed in the shining plate armor she wore when she served royalty. The cobalt blue armor so delicately designed in the fashion of the high elves, embroidered with a filigree of gold and embellished with the rarest gems on Azeroth. Her face held no mask as she peered in the direction of her viewer. Her blue eyes burning a hole through the painting that appeared older than time.

What ruin it had suffered, that beautiful painting of the lavish woman clad in her royal armor. Evangeline stared, with a pregnant silence; she dragged her fingers across the lithe brush strokes on the canvas. Tearing her eyes from the woman she continued to look at the painting, the _whole_ painting. With the woman, stood a man obviously twice her age; perhaps a father with bright red hair spiking up at the top. To his left stood a smaller woman clinging to his arm, she smiled ever so gracefully in the direction of the viewer, as if to make everything feel better. Her blond hair swayed with dainty curls around her angular visage.

The couple stood close to the woman who was quite obviously part of their family. At her feet played a small kitten; a kitten made of crystal. Rolling on the floor at her feet, the immobile creature played with a ball of rose red yarn, carefree and happy. It was oddly contradicting; the sullen face of the paladin, the praising looks of the couple and the carefree animal. What sort of events took place that made for such a – strange portrait? Evangeline turned around evidently confused and extremely pale.

When she turned, she saw an unexpected figure standing in front of her. There in the middle of the room stood an old Tuskarr peering at her through blind eyes. Engraved in his long white tusks were several designs, some were words of languages long lost in time and several more that Evangeline did not know. His snowy beard looked frozen from the winds that blew relentlessly outside the hut and blue tattoos spread across his face and neck. He wore garments of dark blue and red; beads were embellished into its soft texture.

Evangeline was curious to say the least. Where had this Tuskarr come from? Why was he here? What did he want from her? "Um, he – hello. Thank you, for your help. I mean, thank you, for letting me stay here with you." She said tentatively while performing a curtsey.

"You have stopped running. You shouldn't have stopped running. I brought you here _because_ you stopped." The Tuskarr began. He blinked his sightless eyes and motioned for her to follow him to the entrance of the hut. Evangeline did not understand what was happening. Her curiosity got the best of her and she followed the gnarled old creature. He took a seat in front of a pool of incense lying in some sort of bowl.

"Please, sit Evangeline Goldenleaf. We have much to discuss. Much to say. Much to learn." The old Tuskarr said in a gruff, distant voice. "You do not remember anything, do you?"

"No, I have no idea why I'm here nor do I have any idea why I'm running. Why does everyone tell me to run? What exactly am I running from? A monster?" She said with eyes like slits. "Am I safe here? From the monster? Is that why I'm here? If so, let me stay with you please, I'm scared and alone and I don't know what to do." The old Tuskarr waved off her questions and plights.

"You are being chased by your memories. Distant memories that have recently awoken. You must remember what you have forgotten in order to escape them." The Oracle exhaled. "How much do you remember Evangeline Goldenleaf?" The high elf sighed.

"Not much, I remember key things like my name. But I don't remember why I'm here or why I'm running or what I'm running from or… My past is really blurry. I can see images, but I can't distinguish them one from another." She said while pursing her lips and frowning. "Can you help me? Get my memories back I mean." The Tuskarr gave a hearty laugh.

"No, no, no. Memories cannot simply be regurgitated. It takes a skilled practitioner to regain subconscious thoughts lost in time. Haha, perhaps a_ timely_ intervention by one of these practitioners may help you, hmm?" The Oracle stated. He looked straight into Eva's eyes, locked together in a fierce competition.

"So, what you're saying is I'm here for absolutely no reason? You're no help at all! I'm leaving here even more confused than when I came." She said through clenched teeth. The Tuskarr gave a casual shrug of his burly shoulders.

"You did not come here. I dragged you here from outside, where you decided to take a nice _Meshia' Aloe_." He grumbled with amusement. Eva looked completely confused at his choice of words. "A nice snow nap." Evangeline was not pleased by this.

"Oracle, I have been through much this past month. I have been wandering aimlessly with half a mind. I feel as if a part of me died and I don't know why, I feel as if I no longer want to run and just allow this – _monster_ to take me." She said, eyes glazing over in pain. The Tuskarr looked up in surprise.

"If you give up, you will play right into his hands. It is what he wants, for you to be together forever. I do not want you to give up paladin, you are stronger than this." The Oracle looked towards the setting sun. "Winters here are cold and long, but the spring is beautiful and pleasant. The two coexist peacefully, without hate, without reason. They always work together during the changing of the seasons. So too must you work with yourself, your inner conflicts; as you have before Evangeline Goldenleaf, this is the only way you will escape with your life and freedom. You have a storm raging in your mind, and before anything may be done, it must subside. Perhaps a journey to the Caverns of Time is the perfect place for you to begin your road to recovery?" The Oracle said with a wink of his peerless eye.

"Thank you Oracle, for your wisdom, for telling me where to go on my journey." Evangeline looked to him as she got up with grateful eyes. As she turned to walk away from the hut and into the white blankness, she had a sudden recollection of something in her past. "Oracle? One last question before I leave."

"Hmm?" He said while giving a toothy grin.

"Why is it you have a picture of me in your den?" She said without looking at him. The Oracle thought for a moment then replied.

"I don't know; why _do_ I have a picture of you in my den? He said with a gruff chuckle. Pausing for a moment Eva wondered what he had meant. However, as she turned to confront him, the hut was gone and replaced with a pile of golden dust. As Evangeline moved toward the sands, she noticed a faint glimmer of energy, of light. As she reached out to grab it, the dust blew away into the wind, swirling in the sky and eventually disappearing with the final rays of sun. The world became black.

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><p>Evangeline struggled against the black tide as it threatened to drown her. She swam, harder and harder but no matter what she did, she had no idea where to go, and there was no light anywhere to suggest the location of the surface. As her lungs gave way, Eva found herself floundering madly on the rocky floors of the cave. Not an hour had gone by since she began her meditating, Milo was still asleep with Kuma and the night was still black. She sighed a sigh of relief before turning her head; but from the corner of her eye, she noticed a shine. As she crawled toward it, she noticed it was the same golden dust from her dreams. Intrigued she picked some up and let it seep into the palm of her hand. With a massive poke, Evangeline woke Milo up.<p>

"Who, wha – what? What's going on? Are we under attack? Kuma, wake up!" He said fairly confused at being disturbed during his pleasant sleep. "Eva? What are you doing? I was sleeping so peacefully. I'll have you know this is the first good sleep I've had in days and you just woke me up. Do you have any idea how long it will take for me to get back to sleep? You're worse than a child, you – you're worse than her!" Milo jabbed a finger at Kuma who simply started jumping around and chasing her own tail. Evangeline shushed him.

"Milo, what's this in my hand?" She questioned him with curiosity sparkling in her eyes. Milo gave her one final disdainful look before averting his gaze to her open hand.

"Hmm, looks to me like dust. Golden dust. Or sand, depends on how you look at it." He said while pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, and closed his eyes. "This is why you woke me up? For dust? I know you're confused and I get it, but c'mon, I need some sleep to keep up with your questions."

"No, have a closer look. I know it can't be dust, or sand, it just… Can't" She said shaking her head stubbornly. Milo gave her a strange look, as if he thought she were completely out of her mind. But, giving in to her demands, he looked closer. And closer. And closer still, until he saw a faint glimmer in the sand. He prodded himself up to have a better look and with breakneck speed he turned to Evangeline.

"Where did you get this? This is 'Sands of Time', the bronze dragonflight use it in their giant sand clock in the caverns of time. This stuff is really hard to get." Milo said while staring at the sand placed in a pile in Evangeline's hand.

"I just found it. Milo, Can we go to the Caverns of Time? I think I may need to do something there. Something important." She said in a serious tone. Milo merely looked at her.

"You know, everything is important to you. This, that, here, there. Anyway, the caverns are extremely well guarded, no mortals can enter, only dragons."

"Milo, please, this is important to me." She looked at him pleadingly. "Please." Milo tried not to look at her imploring eyes, but he could not resist.

"Ugh, take this. It's a gryphon whistle, when you use it, Max will come. He can fly you to Tanaris. I can't go with you though. I have business here in Northrend; I need to stay in Dragonblight for a bit longer to finish what I started. But I hope you find what you're looking for." Milo said with a sigh.

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><p>The next morning, after a not-so-good sleep, Milo and Kuma headed off into the snow. Their long journey would soon take them far away from Eva's quest, and who knew? Maybe they would see each other again someday.<p>

But somewhere repulsive and putrid, in a place not far from Dragonblight, something stirred. It's long, black limbs stretched out from its seated position. The humongous figure moved from his seat of ice to the massive window to his side. He inhaled the cold smell of death and exhaled patiently. Looking toward the sky he saw millions of creations of the scourge, and gave a chilling laugh. "Evangeline, how I've missed you." His eerie voice caressing each word. "I can't wait to see you again. To have you in my arms once more, like you always were. To bring you home. To your _new_ home." And with a frosty chuckle, the masked knight moved away from the window to begin his hunt.

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><p><strong>Again, hope you liked it. I plan on maybe posting a chapter a week (if I'm lucky), starting to get a little<strong>

**better with using fanfic, not a pro by any means (I deleted this chapter like 15 times accidentally).**

**Regards ~ EvaStar***


	3. Caverns of Time

**So now I know why author's take forever to upload their work. It's definetly a pain! But I actually managed to **

**(somehow) get another chapter up and running. Review because I like it 3.**

**I do not own the World... of Warcraft!**

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><p><em><strong>The Caverns of Time<strong>_

_"_Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will

only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat

them in the future."

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><p>Evangeline breathed in the soft dawn air. Milo and Kuma had left a while ago, heading in the direction of Angrathar, the Wrathgate. She smiled as she looked around her; the trees held the glimmer of a thousand shining icicles and the snow beneath her feet crunched musically as she walked. Pacing up to an old gnarled tree covered in ice, Eva pulled out a cookie that Milo had given her. Not much, but it was enough to get her through the morning. She was barely hungry anyway, she had been up all night excited and anxious of her travels ahead and eating was the last thing on her mind. But Milo coerced her into to eating, saying that all good journeys begin on a full stomach. Evangeline giggled softly while shaking her loose hair. With careful precision, the high elf quickly gathered her honey colored hair and put it into an intricate, yet still slightly messy, bun. It looked good though, the bits of hair hanging out worked perfectly with the style.<p>

Pulling Max's whistle from her pocket, Eva carefully looked at the ebony object before putting it to her full lips and began to blow. Nothing. No sound came from the whistle and Evangeline wondered if this was some sort of joke. _Milo said this would call a gryphon!_ She thought angrily. But just as she was about to set off in Milo's direction a massive, boney dragon came down from the sky.

It shook its massive head and roared with such strength that Evangeline went flying back into the snow. _This is not going to end well, I can't fight this thing!_ Evangeline thought of the hopeless situation she was in. Without thinking, Evangeline summoned to her a massive sword. This sword was easily half her size and looked so sharp that you could cut yourself by merely looking at it. The sword itself was made of a luminescent white substance that glowed like the snow in the sun. Golden etchings were carefully carved to the midsection of the great blade, glowing softly with the sword. The pointy pommel was made of gold and inlaid with rubies and diamonds. The hilt was cushioned with a soft grip that allowed for the wielders hold to be firm. The guard was also made of gold and twisted around the base of the blade until it ended at its lower midsection. This too was decorated with gems.

Instinctively, Evangeline reached for the stalwart weapon and held it defensively in front of her face. Almost at once, the dragon roared and approached the woman, baring its glimmering jaws and swiping its boney claws toward her. She barely had time to dodge out of the way before a powerful attack came up from above her head. As she rolled up to the side of the dragon, Evangeline stabbed the creature in the ribs and proceeded to climb its skeletal body. Not taking kindly to the unwanted passenger, the dragon began to jerk from side to side trying to fling her off. It was extremely hard to stay balanced on the thin vertebrae, and Eva almost fell into the blue haze that was emanating from the monsters belly. Tiny beads of sweat pearled upon her pale brows; she did not have the strength to hold onto the angry dragon much longer. With a tremendous heave, Evangeline flung herself from the dragons' back onto the ground and hid in a crevice.

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><p>Keeping as quiet as possible, Evangeline tried to calm her speeding heart, pulling her sword closer to her in an embrace; she squeezed her eyes shut. Breathing rapidly from her gaping mouth Eva wondered if the mighty beast had given up, stealing a glance through her closed eyes, she peered through the crack she hid in. The dragon was vehement, swinging its body around; its claws scraped furiously at the ice beneath him while his tail swung madly; uprooting several ancient trees. Evangeline quietly whimpered from her hiding spot. Mistake. The dragon swung its head toward the icy crevice, its face trying to squeeze in to tear her apart.<p>

Evangeline gasped quietly while squeezing the sword in her hands. Her grip was so strong her knuckles turned whiter than the boney dragon itself. With a loud cry, Eva plunged the massive weapon into the beasts' terrible skull. The frost wyrm cried out in obvious pain, though not enough to kill it; Evangeline had hurt it enough for it to give up and find easier prey elsewhere. As its glossy blue wings took to the air, the dragon screeched in defiance once more before setting off to the North.

Sighing in exhaustion, Eva pulled herself out of the hole. With a quiet crunch she lay in the snow staring into the sky, a few minutes had passed before she started grinning ear to ear. She had beaten a frost wyrm all by herself. She had survived its attack! Giggling loudly, partially from tiredness and partly from elation, Eva found herself lying there staring into the sunny sky. No clouds, only bright rays of sunshine. _Hello, what's this_? A couple seconds into her cloud watching, Eva found a creature encircling her in the sky. Praying that it wasn't the dragon returning to finish its job, she lumbered to a standing position, pitifully holding the heavy sword. Now completely exhausted, Evangeline knew she wouldn't last another minute in a fight. With a great screeched the creature flew down. Too small to be a dragon, but too large to be a vulture. _What in Azeroth is that_?

Landing gracefully at her side was a golden gryphon, armored with plates of green and gold. On his back rested a leather seat, a careful inscription into its side read 'Max'. The half eagle, half lion chirped playfully at the dumbstruck elf and seemed to laugh with its eyes observing her surprised stature. With a beating of its wings the gryphon handed to her a white envelope. Evangeline, never taking her eyes of the gryphons brown eyes, tentatively took the letter. Opening it carefully, she reached in and pulled out a note; it read:

_Dear Evangeline;_

_If you are reading this letter, it's because Max found you safe and sound._

_If not, that could be because your dead or the little guy dropped the letter. If_

_that's the case, then this letter is pointless and I just wasted a good two_

_minutes of my life. But if you did get this, let me apologize to you personally._

_The whistle I gave you is actually Kuma's, I realized that when I went to call her_

_back to me and Max flew out of the sky. Oupps. Hopefully you weren't in too big_

_of a hurry, but as long as you have him now, right? Anyway, good luck on_

_your journey to the Caverns of Time. Hope you don't die, you're kind of cool._ _Regards; Milo._

Evangeline was already ready to strangle the guy by the time she finished the letter. _Lucky he's far, far away from here_. Scrunching up the letter into a tiny ball, she flung it over her shoulder and walked up to Max. Looking the beast in the eyes, she gently stroked its beak. The bird closed its eyes and let out a purr while ruffling its feathers. Striding up to his back and climbing on, Eva grasped the reigns. Evangeline gasped as she remembered the sword, she couldn't hold onto it and the reigns. Looking around, she noticed Max had a couple bags attached to his saddle. Opening one of them she noticed it contained food, water and a couple bags of gold. _Better keep a hold of this. The boy owes me_. Eva thought with a smirk.

Continuing her inspection, she noticed a scabbard hanging from one of the bags. Carefully securing it to her back and sliding the massive sword into it, Eva sighed with happiness. Finally things were going her way. She finished her rummaging by untying the bags from Max and attaching them to her strong belts that clung to her hips.

* * *

><p>Grabbing the reigns yet again, Eva pulled back and gave Max the command to fly into the bright sunny sky. Throwing his head back to screech, Max launched himself upward into the cottony clouds. Gripping tightly to the reigns as the air whipped at her face, Evangeline could hardly contain her exhilaration. Had she ever been on a gryphon before? How long ago would that have been? She laughed as Max gave her a bit of a show, swerving in the air, plummeting down towards the sea then veering upwards again, Evangeline found it all to be so much fun. However when Max decided to do some loop da loops, he pushed it too far. Not expecting to go upside down, Eva slid off the saddle and began crashing toward the churning ocean.<p>

"Max! Max, help me! Ahhh!" She screamed for her life, and just as she thought she would collide with the water, Max grabbed her with his enormous claws. Suspended above the Great Sea; being held solely by her arms, as the gryphons claws dug into her shoulders, Evangeline gave a tiny cry. "Max, I have to get onto your saddle. I can't hang here forever!" She said in despair.

Max immediately began flying upside down, a difficult feat that he could not do for long. As he lowered her onto his underbelly, Evangeline clawed at his soft fur, trying desperately to get a grip. Max, however started to lose altitude, and Evangeline found herself struggling to get back on his back. Irritated by her lack of skills, Max decided to throw her up into the air. Once again Eva found herself suspended in the air, immobile for a moment before falling onto Max's solid back. Climbing into the saddle once more, Eva closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Max gave a malicious screech while amusement glinted in his brown eyes.

"Don't you ever do any of that ever again!" Thinking to herself she added. "Actually, Max, you should do it again. But with Milo, you should show Milo your awesome tricks." Max squawked in delight and continued his flight to Tanaris.

* * *

><p>It seemed as if they had been over the sea for days. A change in scenery was not an unwelcomed thought as Evangeline stared carelessly at the clouds. Several islands specked the water beneath them, but none were of interest to her, she just wanted to get to Kalimdor. Soon. Max eventually let out a warning squawk, and Eva peered into the distance. Out on the horizon, closing in quickly, was an enormous landmass. <em>It must be Kalimdor; we're so close I can almost smell it<em>! She cheered along with Max, knowing that their long flight was coming to a close. Veering abruptly to the left, Max made his was down to the southernmost tip of the continent; Tanaris.

Landing softly in the warm sand, Max and Eva looked at each other in triumph. They had survived the perilous journey, with only a couple of scrapes and bruises. "Come on Max, I'm tired of sitting on your back all day, let's walk to Gadgetzan." She said with elation. They didn't need to walk for long before they came to the bustling town of Gadgetzan, the headquarters of the Steamwheedle Cartel. Evangeline and Max walked through the stone arch that led them into the town, and immediately were amazed by the goods that were available. Walking around in wonder, Eva looked down at the various vendors and sampled their goods.

"Fresh off the farm sweetie, that's the best Savory Snowplum you'll ever have in Kalimdor. Got'em straight from Northrend. Those things are to die for." A small green goblin said with a wink of his eyes and a sly smile plastered on his face. "Here, you should try this Grog while you're at it, has quite a kick to it!"

"Mmm, this fruit is delicious sir, but I'm sorry, I don't drink." Evangeline said after taking a bite of the soft plum.

"Aww, that's too bad. Try some of this highland spring water then, it's pretty good stuff. Gotta little sweetness to it, some say it reminds them of cupcakes. Man I love cupcakes; they're the best things in the world." The Goblin said wistfully, turning his luminescent yellow eyes to the sky.

"Okay, let me have a taste." Evangeline said as she took a gulp from the sample cup. "Wow that is pretty good." She admitted and pulled from Milo's bag three gold coins. "Here you go sir, I'll take some plums and some of that water." She said with a smile on her face.

The goblin, smiling at the outstretched hand with the gold coins, thanked her while placing the items in her bag. Evangeline handed the coins to the vendor before setting off to the stables. "So Max, I'm just going to let you stay here while I attend to my business." Evangeline said while walking up to the stable master. "You'll be fine here until Milo comes to get you buddy."

Max whimpered at her and playfully nudged her in the arm with his beak. His eyes pleading her to let him go too, instead of being locked up in the smelly stable. She noticed his obvious attempts, and with a sigh of defeat allowed Max to follow her to the exit of Gadgetzan. A cloaked figure, however, approached Evangeline as she exited the town.

"Psst, hey. Hey, you. I think I may have something of interest to ya." The figure whispered loudly. Eva and Max paused to look at the human leaning against the rock wall.

"Um, yes?" She said curiously.

"This is a map of Tanaris; a complete map. You shouldn't even think of going out there without one. It's suicide." The man said with a laugh.

"How much for your map stranger?" Eva said kindly. Max stared defiantly at the hooded figure, not quite trusting something without a face.

"Hmm, well, maybe a good eight gold should do the trick. It's a hefty sum, but hey, it's a necessity of life, especially down here" He said, gesturing around him at the desert.

"Okay, I'd like to buy that map from you then." She said as she pulled eight gold coins from the bags clinging to her side. The man greedily took the money from her extended hands and threw her the map.

"pleasure doin' business with ya lady, see ya around." He said as he counted the coins in the palm of his hand.

* * *

><p>The sun was burning down on the two travelling companions as they made their way through the scalding sand. "Ah, screw it Max. We're not walking anymore." Evangeline said after a while. Max was very grateful at the idea of flying into the cool breeze, and so was Evangeline. Sliding onto the leather saddle and gripping the reigns tightly, Max flew off into the sky towards the east.<p>

It took much less time flying than it would have by foot, and Evangeline was extremely grateful to have Max with her. As they approached a collapsed building and a huge cave carved into a rocky mountain, Eva knew they had arrived. Maybe it was the Bronze dragons flying around the base that alerted her, or maybe it was the drawing on the map of a huge cave in a mountain. Either way, she had arrived at her destination, and soon, she would remember _everything_. Evangeline watched in awe as Max flew down the lengthy tunnel that was the caverns. From inside; she could see space and time. At the end of the tunnel lay an immense opening. Several dragons were patrolling the area while even more in their mortal form walked around checking out the temporal passageways. Her eyes were shining as she noticed the huge sand clock in the middle of the cave. Beside it slept a massive bronze dragon, which appeared to be in a temporal form, obviously in more than one time period.

Evangeline landed Max near a high elf patrolling the corridors. At once several guards came barreling to her position. The burly bronze protectors took up their weapons and pointed them directly at her shocked face.

"Halt!" The high elf said in a powerful voice. "What brings you to the Caverns of Time traveller? My name is Soridormi, the prime consort of Nozdormu the Timeless One and queen of the bronze dragonflight."

Evangeline swallowed hard, she had flown up to the queen of the bronze dragonflight. "I'm so sorry great one, I did not mean to intrude. My name is Evangeline Goldenleaf, and I've come to seek your help." She began soberly.

"Do not worry young one." The caramel haired elf replied. "Your arrival has been foreseen, and we understand why you have come to seek the help of the bronze dragonflight."

Soridormi began to walk away while motioning for Evangeline to follow her. The transmogrified dragon led her up and down winding caves until they came to a room carved into the rock itself.

"During your stay, you will live here my dear. You have nothing to fear as you will be protected from anything that may cause you harm." Soridormi said kindly.

"Thank you so much great one. I am eternally grateful to you." Evangeline said while bowing her head stiffly.

"Please, call me Soridormi. You will be visited by a priestess of the scale of the sands; she will help you with your memories. Remember that this could be a very long process and more times than not, memories will fade away and there is nothing that can be done." Soridormi said with a huff. "But don't give up hope, because there is always a ray of sunshine." She left Evangeline and Max with a wink.

Realization dawned on Evangeline, she had made it. She was in the Caverns of Time; soon, she would remember everything. Why she's being chased, why there is such a big hole in her heart, she's finally going to find out what's going on. Evangeline smiled as she plummeted into the squishy bed. Max curling up at the foot of the bed. And both of them closed their eyes and allowed the sweet dreams to take them.

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><p>But far north, in the snow blanketed region of Dragonblight; a figure clad in the darkest of metal rose from the darkness. In each of his hands was a blade, twice the size of an orc, in length and width. Slithering behind him was a massive frost wyrm; a glowing blue gash pulsed in the middle of its face. Pausing briefly, the silhouette looked at his surroundings. "What's this now?" He rumbled deeply as he reached for a crumpled up piece of paper.<p>

Reading it slowly, the enormous figure growled a fierce laugh. "Evangeline, you're making this too easy. _Too easy_. We're going to have a serious talk when I find you. But something must be done, _must be done_. I'll wait as long as it takes; soon, I will find you. And you. Will. Die!" He roared maniacally. Behind him the massive dragon roared in unison and fury.

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><p><strong>So I guess this is it for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed<strong>

**writing it. Hopefully I'll post these more often now that I'm back onto a normal schedule!**

**Regards~ EvaStar***


	4. The Paladins' Story

**There may be some inconsistencies in the storyline that oppose the game's lore (for example high elf paladins existing before **

**lady Liadrin). I'm sorry about this, and I promise they will be few and far between. **

**Hopefully you'll still enjoy though!**

**I still don't own Warcraft, oh well.**

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><p><em><strong>The Paladins' Story<strong>_

"People often say that this or that person has not found himself yet.

But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates."

~Thomas Szasz

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><p>The night had passed quickly and dawn was following close behind. Trying to gain a few more minutes of rest, Evangeline turned her head from the opening in her room. The halls and rooms became bustling with activity as the citizens of the Caverns of Time awoke to pursue their duties. As tired as Evangeline was, she could no longer sleep, especially since Max began chewing on her toes.<p>

"Heehee, Max. Max, stop. Quit it! Maaaax! I said, haha, I said, st – stop!" Evangeline was giggling madly as Max gnawed softly on her toes. "Max, those are not gryphon treats. Okay, okay, I'm getting up you sadistic bird you!"

Immediately Max sat up and put his head to the side, his tongue lolling out as he smiled at her. His goofy appearance made for a good laugh and Eva chuckle as she butted him playfully in the beak with her fist. Sighing, she marched out of bed and rummaged through her bag. Within she found more gold that Milo simply had lying around and a smaller bag labeled 'Max's treats, handle with care'. "Handle with care?" She whispered to herself while picking it up to have a good look. "What on Azeroth could the man mean?"

Max's nose was faster than Eva's reflexes and as soon as he got the faintest whiff of the giblets that were in the bag, he traced them to Eva's vulnerable fingers. With careful mastery, the bird swooped in and grabbed the bag from her outstretched fingers and shoved his beak inside. Within seconds, all traces of what had been Max's treats were all gone. Evangeline didn't even have the time to blink as she realized Max had taken and eaten the entire bag. Regaining composure, she immediately began to berate the overstuffed bird.

"YOU TURKEY! That was so much food, how can you even sit there?" Ironically the bird began tipping slightly to his side before eventually rolling onto the floor. "You're going to get yourself so fat; we'll have to eat you for thanksgiving!" However she could no longer retain her composure and she fell to her bed giggling with laughter at the gryphon that could no longer lift himself off the floor. At that instant a beautiful Draenei woman entered the cave she was in. She was standing at least a good three feet above Evangeline, her skin was the color of a brightly lit sky; and her pearl white hair, parted slightly to the side, hung mesmerizingly in front of her face. Crowning her head were a pair of curled horns, reminding Eva of a bull. Her neck carried several necklaces and pendants as well as one to symbolize her affiliation with the Scales of the Sands. Doing a double take, Evangeline noticed she had tentacles swaying from her neck and behind her hung a huge ringed tail. A pregnant silence ensued as Max and Eva silently stared at the enormous figure in the doorway, still in their humorous positions. Evangeline composed herself quickly and went to the priestess and bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry, I hadn't known anyone was here" She said calmly, but her mouthed kept twitching upward as Max continued his struggle in the background. The Draenei smiled sweetly.

"You have no reason to be sorry, dear. You are happy and that is a good thing, considering all the pain you have been through." She spoke gently in an accent rich voice. "But you wouldn't know, what with your memories being gone" A thought flashed through her eyes as she spoke. "I am here to help you regain these lost thoughts." She paused. "That is, if you wish to continue. You are in no obligation, and may leave whenever you so choose."

"Miss, with all due respect, I don't think you understand what I'm going through. I'm lost in a world that I'm supposed to know; I'm heartbroken, but I don't know why; my sleep is restless even though I don't dream. I feel – I feel as if I'm walking around with only a part of myself, and the other part is lost in the Nether, begging to come back." She balled up her fists as she thought. "Regaining my memories may not be what's best for me, but if it's what's best for the people I assume I care about, then I'm going to go through with it. No matter how hard it is."

"Even if the memories are so painful, you'll want to get rid of them?" She asked cautiously, as if she shouldn't be saying this. The priestess blushed fiercely. "Forgive me my lady, I forget my place. Let's begin with the process."

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><p>Minutes had passed before Evangeline was fully aware of what was happening. The Priestess she had come to know as Rea, had told her to lie down on the bed and calm herself as best she could and walked out. Evangeline found herself simply lying on her back staring at a stone grey ceiling twirling her thumbs. <em>When is this going to start? <em>Looking to side to side impatiently, she wondered if the purpose was to bore her to death. _Oh well, might as well have a nap while I wait. She's been this long now; she might be even longer still. She probably wouldn't mind._ At first, her eyes were closed and she could hear Max's breathing at the foot of the bed or the distant sounds made by the citizens of the Caverns. But after some time, even those sounds disappeared. Slowly, she sunk into an even deeper trance as the darkness swirled upwards around her.

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><p>Evangeline woke up happily from her deep sleep. Morning was dawning into her brightly lit room. She sat up and stretched exaggeratedly while smiling, and eventually getting up from her shiny, plush and blue circular bed. She walked around the luxurious room that was of a deep navy blue and contours of gold. The native colors of the distinguished high elf people. She walked through her room carefully, nearly tripping over a stray chair that had found itself in her way. Pushing it back into place at the dining table quietly, she continued her march toward the balcony. Opening the large French doors onto the terrace, she walked onto its white marble surface. All around her grew majestic white roses that she had planted at the beginning of spring. How she missed spring, the leaves and flowers coming out and the quiet rain that drizzled overhead. Evangeline did not like the summer, it was much too hot and everywhere she went needed to be shaded from the blistering rays of the sun. Yes, the spring was perfect and mild, but alas, it had come and gone so quickly, like most perfect moments in life.<p>

A loud knocking at her door startled her from her daze. Drifting up to the door, she opened it cautiously, behind it stood a man covered in a blood red armor that made him look twice the size he normally was.

"Bren'de, how nice of you to come here. But so early, do you have a message for me?" Eva said in her native tongue, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes my lady Evangeline, we have dire news that King Anasterian Sunstrider wished me to convey. It seems as if the forest trolls to the south will be a problem. Lately, they have been growing more and more confidant in their attacks, even going so far as to attack an armed caravan headed to Silvermoon." Bren'de growled angrily. "The king has asked you to meet with the council to decide what will be done about these arrogant fools."

"Ah yes? Well, in my opinion those creatures should never again see the light of day, but, even with our forces…" Evangeline trailed off as she thought of the dozens of Farstriders that had lost their lives in the defence of the newest settlements. "Ah, anyway, this shall be discussed during the council, and we will decide then what course of action we should take." She said with a smile to Bren'de.

"My lady Goldenleaf, you are as wise as you are deadly. And as deadly as you are beautiful, hopefully the council will understand the necessity of this course of action. And agree with you whole heartedly." He said while bowing deeply. Evangeline laughed at his formalness.

"I am but a commander Bren'de, not the crown princess of Quel'thalas. Such formalities are not necessary." She said with a kind smile and a blink of her eyes. "Does Ali'isha know of this meeting yet?" She questioned with a tip of her head.

"Not yet, Eva, I am my way to her now." He laughed quietly and added "be well, sister."

She laughed in unison with him. Evangeline was not related to this elf by blood, but they were good friends within the army, and have grown accustomed to each other always being around, just as siblings are always close to each other. Evangeline changed from her comfortable tunic into her heavy metal armor, an unwelcomed transition. The time it took to attach each piece of plate was irritating to say the least, but eventually the white and gold garments had been adorned.

Exiting her home softly with a sigh, Evangeline walked through the quiet streets of Silvermoon city. It was much too early in the morning for the merchants to be out selling their goods and services. Her home was located in the Court of the Sun, so it was not a long walk until she reached the majestic palace that was Sunfury Spire. Her heart beat quickly as she walked up the majestic stairs leading into the throne room, their standing in the middle of the room was the king and his council.

"Ah, Evangeline, I see Bren'de has given you the message, so nice of you to join us." The king smiled at her kindly.

"Yes, your majesty. I would not miss this council, even if the trolls themselves tried to stop me." She laughed wholeheartedly.

"So glad you're looking forward to it, Evangeline Goldenleaf, since there may be some – complications, arising due to the nature of this discussion." The king continued prudently. At this, some of the lords cough awkwardly and the nobles looked downright vexed. Ali'isha entered the hall quickly alongside Bren'de.

"Evangeline, dear how are you? What have I missed hmm?" She asked enthusiastically. "We haven't started now have we?" Ali'isha and Evangeline smiled quietly.

"Nothing at all, we were waiting for everyone to get here." Evangeline smiled.

"Well, good!" Ali'isha sniffed. "Gotta be there to vote against those cursed forest trolls and their spawn." Evangeline nodded in agreement.

"We all know what this is about finally?" The king said loudly for all to hear. At the sounds of several acknowledgements from the council, he continued. "We must decide what to do about the Amani trolls to the south. They are unwilling to negotiate peace, trespass upon our lands and kill our innocent citizens." He said loudly. "I myself know what I would choose, but I must know if you, the nobles and warriors would support me?" The entire council cheered in unison, but Evangeline spoke up.

"Sire, I would like to annihilate the trolls once and for all as much as the rest of you but… As we all know, they are a forced to be reckoned with, even with our advanced skills and technology, they could defeat us by sheer number." She said strongly, as she looked at everyone present, ending with the king. "As much as I hate to admit it, we may not be able to do this alone."

"Yes, yes. We've thought of that commander Goldenleaf. It was not an easy decision." Spoke one of the nobles present as he eyed the wary glances of the others. Evangeline narrowed her eyes. "Our king has suggested that we ask the humans of Arathor for their help in this war. In fact, he even went so far as to ask them before this council could be summoned!" His voice cold as steel. All eyes shifted to Anasterian Sunstrider.

"It's true, I've asked, but I would not act upon it unless I could ask my council beforehand." He turned around to take a seat at his throne. "King Thoradin said that he would aid us with the war if – if we would teach one hundred humans in the arcane arts." Anasterian had barely finished his sentence before the arguments began. On one side, the elves were fighting against such a thought. Humans were never seen as an equal, nor should they be taught as equals. And on the other side, which included an indecisive Evangeline, a battle ready Ali'isha and a collected Bren'de, argued the benefits of such an alliance.

"If we have the chance to take out the troll armies once and for all, I say we take it! So what if we have to train one hundred measly humans to be mages. Let's get the job done already!" Ali'isha yelled into the fray.

"Are you daft woman? They are not elves, they don't deserve our teachings." Another noble yelled out to her.

"But it is to our mutual advantage, if we fight with the humans, the odds are much more even than if we fought alone." Bren'de said in defense of his friend.

"We get rid of the trolls, then what? Worry about the humans? No, the last thing we need is teaching some foolish mortals the arcane arts. We are superior, and even we make drastic mistakes!" The previous noble stated.

"Without the trolls bothering us, our settlements will be much safer. And the humans cannot pose that much of a threat to our safety. Plus, if their willing to enter an alliance with us, it must not be to harm us." Evangeline started quietly.

"Enough!" Anasterian Sunstrider commanded to the bickering assembly. "Let us vote! And end this argument once and for all. To my right is for the alliance, to my left is against, take your pick!" Immediately, the committee of elves moved in either direction. Some went left, some went right. Shifting his eyes from side to side, Anasterian counted the votes. "It seems as if it is unanimous, we go to war with the humans of Arathor!"

By the end of the meeting, Evangeline had been starving. Ali'isha heard her tummy rumble and rolled her eyes with a smirk. "You would!" She giggled. "C'mon, let's get you something to eat before you waste away into nothingness!" Evangeline and Bren'de laughed along.

* * *

><p>The days had come and gone for the past few months without much change. Life in the city was bustling with activity as preparations for the impending war were made. It was a bleak time with little to no change; she had seen the same people everywhere she went. Supervised and trained the same underlings and watched the same scenery go on and on in her mind, day in and day out. Life was boring, and Evangeline doubted she could ever live with such monotony ever again. However, their months of preparation were now at an end, and the troll wars were under way.<p>

* * *

><p>The morning was bleak, no sun in the sky; only pure black clouds moving in from the west. Evangeline shivered as the cold dawn air touched her skin. <em>Ha, a dark rainy day for war? How ironic<em>. She thought with a grimace. She had been standing on her balcony for a good hour now, waiting for the sun to rise in the east, but it had never come. The beautiful colors that played intricately into one another would not be seen today. "If only, today of all days, I could see that sun rise. I would never take it for granted again." She spoke softly into the breeze. She turned her head and walked into her home, and as soon as she set foot into the room, a small, rock hard creature barreled into her stomach. "Ouff!" She exclaimed.

Raising her head, she saw a joyous and familiar sight. "Paco! How are you, you cute little tyke you?" As she pulled the crystalline kitten into a bear hug. Squirming out of her grasp, Paco landed on her lap and mewed to her. His small kitten shape was strange and angular to him being carved out of stone itself. The blue crystal moved with the same litheness as a cat, and held the same huge dewy blue eyes as one. Tipping his head to the side, Paco let out another cute mew before jumping up and licking Eva straight on the nose.

"Aww, Paco, I've missed you, ya little rascal. But if you're here, that must mean…" As she finished her sentence, two high elves entered the room. "Mother! Father! I'm so pleased to see you, but you're cutting it a bit close aren't you" She said with a wink.

"Yes, we are darling, but it's a long travel for us, especially at our age" Her mother spoke softly while moving in for a hug from her daughter. Evangeline laughed as her soft blond curls tickled her chin.

"We heard the news some time ago, and we knew we had to see you off. It's not every day the high elf people go off to – war." Her father sounded strangled, as if he were holding back tears.

"Oh papa, don't you worry, I'll come home safe and sound. I'm very good at what I do, plus we will have allies on the battlefield. It will give us that much of an advantage." Evangeline said as she pulled her father into her embrace. His pointy ears fell as he thought of his youngest daughter heading off to war. "Is Calis here? Or Ventus? What about Awella?" Evangeline spoke quickly, noting off her sisters and brother.

"Calm down daughter. No, they regret that they could not come, but studies and work have kept them preoccupied. They each told us to offer our best wishes to you in their stead." Her mother chuckled musically and fell silent watching her youngest child's happy face. "Is there any way I could keep you from participating in this war?"

"Mother, you have nothing to fear, I will be fine. I have Bren'de and Ali'isha to take care of me, not to mention my entire squad of expertly trained paladins! On top of the whole elven army" Evangeline listed off with a laugh.

"I'm glad you have such good friends to take care of you daughter. And I cannot wait to see you again when you return." Her father said, trying to keep his composure. "I know, this isn't the first time you've gone off, but I can't help feeling a little emotional. You may never come back." Evangeline looked uneasy.

"Xylas! Do not scare the poor child. She will do exemplary work, why? Because she is a Goldenleaf, and we always do above and beyond our best." Her mother concluded with a sniff. Eva looked at her mother thankfully, who turned and gave her a wink of her huge sapphire eyes.

"Yes, but -" Xylas' eyes met those of his wife, which held such a defiant look that he stopped midsentence. "You're right Mal'orie, you always are." He said with a chuckle.

Paco had been curled up at Evangeline's feet the whole time, enjoying her closeness, but sensing that she was soon leaving he got up and began kneading her legs.

"Silly Paco, what are you doing down there you rascal?" Evangeline said, giggling as she picked him up and cradled him in her arms. "You know I have to go. Mama, papa, thank you so much for this visit. It most definitely makes up for the lack of sunshine this morning." She said as a graceful smile touched her rosy lips.

After saying farewell to her parents, Evangeline turned to her bed where her armor had been carefully laid out. Removing the leather tunic she had been sporting during her parents visit, she replaced it with a heavy, white mail shirt and mail leggings of the same metal. She then began the long, arduous task of placing the white and gold plates onto her body.

Her breastplate was a rich cream color stretching all over her torso and midsection, as well as covering her entire upper and lower arm. Every rim on the armor was contoured with a delicate gold design. On her neck, she wore a large golden pendent of a leaf, which hovered gracefully above her armor. Her leg plates looked exactly as her breastplate had; stretching all the way down to her ankles, but enough space was kept within to allow movement. Her cream plated boots stretched all the way to her knees ending sharply. Going into her wardrobe, Evangeline pulled out a navy blue cloak contoured once again in gold interlace, and tied it gently around her ivory neck. Her shoulder plates were huge, and they stretched far above her head ending in a curve where they nearly touched together. Putting on her vicious plate gloves, Evangeline paused quietly and looked out the window. From every home she could see warriors leaving and loved ones giving their final farewells. As much as she had put on a brave face for her parents, she well knew the risks of war. Some of these people, herself included, may never return to their homes, this could be a final farewell.

Looking down at her golden plate gloves, whose fingers clawed out savagely at the ends and were chained together by a golden chain that hung limply between the empty spaces. Sighing to herself and frowning, Evangeline wondered how it had come down to it. Not the war itself, but her wanting to go. What was her drive to want to hurt the trolls so much? She had not personally suffered nor had anyone close to her. But once again she looked out the window; watching the elves she had come to know and respect, watching little children run freely in the streets giving gifts to the parting soldiers. This was why she fought with such determination, not for herself, but for her people. The high elves of Quel'thalas were her family, and she would keep her family safe.

With a quiet sniff of determination, Evangeline smiled and placed her burly helm upon her head. It encompassed her whole face so that none could see her features, except those of her fiercely glowing blue eyes. Where ears had been had now been replaced by long delicate plate horns. Smiling quietly behind her mask, Evangeline turned and headed for the door. Yes, she would keep her land and her people safe. And with a laugh she picked up a glowing white sword and headed out the door.

* * *

><p>Walking quietly through the sullen city, Eva came across her friends Bren'de and Ali'isha, both of whom wore an extensive array of battle armor.<br>"Why hullo there commander, nice day we're having huh?" Ali'isha began comically.

"Hush Ali, this is no time to act foolish!" Bren'de snapped at her.

"Bren'de, let her, it is nice that she found a way around the anxiety that has filled the hearts of many of our soldiers and their loved ones." Evangeline smiled softly.

"Yeah Bren'de, stop spoiling my fun! Eva gets it, we should be happy to be rid of those monstrosities once and for all." She giggled noisily. Bren'de looked at her and sighed before turning away.

"Nearly time to go hmm, you two nervous?" Evangeline began casually.

"Not at all, I know who has the upper hand, and everyone knows who's gonna win!" Ali'isha said confidently.

The morning had gone by quick and before she knew it, Evangeline was mounted up on her majestic steed and heading off to war. Passing through the sullen halls of Silvermoon city, Evangeline saw its citizens offering their final farewells to the departing soldiers. Some goodbyes were sad, some were optimistic, and others romantic. As they approached the city's exit, Evangeline paused to take a breath, closed her eyes and imagined her life. _What's going to happen? To me, to my friends, to my soldiers. I beg the light to shine down on them._ And as a final farewell, the sun ushered in some small beacons of light above the warriors as they left the familiar sights of Silvermoon.

* * *

><p>The trek through Eversong woods had gone by pleasantly enough, though the sun had not stayed and the dark clouds were rolling in once more. The marching army finally approached the river that separated Eversong woods from Eversong forest late in the afternoon; this was when the first signs of rain began to fall.<p>

As soon as they had crossed the river and marched down a steep cliff, Evangeline had her first experiences with the humans of Arathor. They were stretched out by the thousands, camping in little huts on the ground while several communed near fireplaces made on the ground. As soon as the elves had arrived, the leader of the army came to greet them.

"Greetings and salutations from the Arathorian Empire and King Thoradin of Stromgarde. We are humbled by your presence and are looking forward to ending the troll incursion once and for all." Said a man, addressing Bren'de; clearly thinking he was the leader of the army. "My name is Mikhail Welsh, knight commander of our kings' battalion." He was a tall and burly fellow, his red hair was cropped short and his skin had the same peachy hue as some elves. The biggest difference between their two races was that his was bigger and their ears were super tiny. _How can they hear through those tiny holes_?

"The pleasure is mine." Began Evangeline with a chuckle, much to the confusion of the knight. "My name is Evangeline Goldenleaf, commander of the high elven army. We look forward to our joint alliance in destroying the forest trolls. Whenever your troops are ready commander, we shall move ahead into Zul'Aman."

"Um, yes, of course commander. All units fall into position, be ready to move out immediately." He cried out to his waiting army. At once the huts had disappeared, the fires had been snuffed out and the army was in formation and prepared to leave.

_They're well prepared_. Eva thought with a smile, and ushering her steed onward, she and her army moved toward the dark looming forest that was troll territory. Resistance was minimal and the army had only met with a few confrontations, easily ended with but the flick of a bow by her master Farstriders. Then they saw it, Zul'Aman, rising up directly in front of them like a cloud of death. The trolls began pouring down from its rocky steps like lava from an erupting volcano. The Troll wars had begun.

Her mount had done quite a good job on its own, trampling the trolls that got too close, even killing a few with its massive horn. But the poor creature had eventually fallen, and Eva was left in the fray to fight for her life. Carefully drawing her sword from its sheath, Evangeline used quick precision to deliver the deadliest blows; quietly and without a sound, many trolls fell limp to her lethal blade.

The humans were faring much better than she had anticipated, they were just as ordered in battle as they had been during the march; working together and pushing the trolls back hundreds at a time. The elves and humans were winning! Zul'Jin, the trolls' leader was spitting out commands to his retreating army. With renewed vigor, Evangeline plowed through the trolls, making her way toward Zul'Jin. But, it was too late, he was gone and the troll army was retreating back into Zul'Aman, the war was over.

Exhaustion crept over every bone in her body, and Evangeline nearly collapsed in fatigue. Looking around she noted the acres of troll bodies, some still clinging to life; begging to be spared or put out of their misery. But, the elven army had taken its toll as well, she saw battle mages fall to the ground in exhaustion, some who would never get up. Her own paladins were decimated, they had been few to begin with and after this battle, were even less.

"Ali'isha? Bren'de? Are you guys okay?" She called out into the air.

"Eva – Evangeline? Is that you" She heard from a few feet away. "It's Ali'isha, I'm with Bren'de, he was nicked pretty badly in the leg and he's having a hard time walking."

_Praise the light their both okay. But how many more are hurt? How many more could be dying, or suffering or already dead? My brothers and sisters. How many would not return to glorious Quel'thalas? _"Thank the light you're okay! Let's get you to a priest, who knows how much blood you've lost."

"Commander Goldenleaf, a word?" Barked Mikhail Welsh, from his position with a few of his warriors.

"Ali'isha I'll be right with you. I must take care of some business first. Yes commander, what can I do for you?" Evangeline said kindly.

"With the troll wars over, we believe peace is destined for our people. King Thoradin would be greatly appreciative if a mutual alliance could continue between our races." He said anxiously, looking to the messenger at his side.

"Tell your king that the high elves of Quel'thalas will not forget his kindness. In our despair, you've come to help us, and for this we are eternally grateful to you. We will forever be indebted to the Arathi bloodline for their support." She said quietly through her helm. Mikhail looked visibly relieved.

"Perhaps we could see the face of the fearless general that fought by our side?" He said with a smile. "So that I may thank her face to face."

Eva smiled widely and removed her enormous helm and held it in her left hand. The commander had obviously been taken off guard by her delicate appearance and he blushed fiercely whilst trying to hide it with a cough.

"Thank you, for your help Commander Goldenleaf. Perhaps we may meet again sometime." He said recovering from his previous shock.

"Until we meet again Commander Welsh, and it is I who should be thanking you!" She said with a musical chuckle. The sky was no longer dark and the drizzle no longer fell. It was a beautiful evening where all the stars could be seen in the sky. Taking a deep breath in and smiling, Eva turned to her army and began to prepare them for the long walk back home.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I guess that concludes this weeks segment. Tune in next time for the <strong>

**next chapter. Oh and a little heads up, it will be titled "Lordaeron." :O**

**Regards ~EvaStar* **


	5. Lordaeron

**I will say this again, there are inconsistencies in this story**

**don't hate me please. But as a writer I hold the priviledge (oh yes I do) **

**to - bend - the lore a tensie bit ;)**

**I, do not own Warcraft, but I do own this story. please?**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Lordaeron<em>**

"Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world,

we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face,

we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us,

nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends."

~Unknown

* * *

><p>Millennia had gone by with but the blink of an eye, and much had changed. Evangeline had long since retired from the high elven army, though she was young by elven standards, the troll wars had taken their toll on her and she had left not long after. She felt kind of sorry that she had never fulfilled her promise to see Mikhail again, but he was long since dead and she was not in the mood to revisit the political problems of Silvermoon. The Arathorian Empire, as well, had dissimilated not long after the war, its nobles and descendants moving throughout the Eastern kingdoms to create new outposts of glory. Most notably Lordaeron and the magical city of Dalaran.<br>Evangeline had heard many stories of the human capital, but she had never been there despite its closeness geographically to Quel'thalas. Evangeline lived her life in quiet solitude; her armor crammed in the closet, her sword once beautiful and vibrant was now dull and caked in dust. She had found many outlets in which to occupy her time, taking up hobbies, walks in the woods and sometimes training the new generations of warriors. Elven paladins had long since disbanded, most had died in the troll wars and whatever remained chose a new class or faded into obscurity.

Today was a particular day when all else seemed boring, felt like it was all done and there was nothing new to do. Evangeline paced around the city looking for simulation, her friends Ali'isha and Bren'de had their own worries; taking care of their new child. It had been a pleasantly unexpected surprise to her; when Ali'isha told her of her impending birth. Laughing, she chastised herself for not noticing earlier on. The little girl, that they had named Amorae, was a beautiful child who loved it when Evangeline visited, but today was not a day for visits. Walking around some more, Eva soon found herself lost in thought.  
>It had been during her most recent day dream that Evangeline accidentally bumped into Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. Falling back onto the ground, she gave herself a shake and looked up curiously. Noticing she had rammed into Anasterians' own son, she blushed in embarrassment.<p>

"My prince, I'm sorry I wasn't looking where I was going. Aren't you studying in Dalaran? What brings you back so soon?" She asked out of curiosity as well as to hide her brimming embarrassment.

"Ahh, just the former commander I wanted to see." He said with a smile as he reached out to pull her back up to her feet. "It's quite alright, Evangeline, and I am here on leave, we too are allowed breaks in our studies to visit home." He said with a chuckle. "I was actually hoping to run into you. Not literally by any means" he joked, "but my father wanted me to tell you that he wants you to attend a council meeting this afternoon."

Evangeline frowned at this. "With all due respect my prince; I have removed myself from the political affairs of Silvermoon when I renounced my leadership in the military. I have no business to be at a council meeting." She said in confusion.

Prince Kael'thas shook his head, "Silvermoon honors your duty and wishes you a peaceful retirement, but this is one final council that my father believes you will hold interest in. It is your choice to go or not, but I strongly suggest that you do lest the decisions they make not fully satisfy you." He said with conviction.

Evangeline pursed her lips while looking toward the sky_. It couldn't hurt, just one last meeting with the council before I leave this political riffraff behind me for good_. "Okay my prince, I will attend" She said with a bow before walking away to Sunfury Spire.

"Good, my father will be pleased with your presence." He stated while walking in the opposite direction.

* * *

><p>Eva had made it just on time for the council, it was a while since she had been here last and she forgot how quick they were to begin. Walking into the throne room Evangeline noticed several heads turn her way. Some familiar faces shinned smiles of respect, other faces that were unrecognisable just stared blankly at her.<p>

"Ahh, Evangeline I knew you would come!" The king said with a smile. "Let us begin the meeting, now that everyone is present."  
>Evangeline shifted from foot to foot, it was uncomfortable being around so many unfamiliar people. Usually she knew close to everyone, she never felt like an outsider before, now it was a foreign country all together.<p>

"As you all know, the humans of Lordaeron have been asking for an alliance with us during their campaign against something they have called "the Horde". I was unwilling to plunge our esteemed people into war again as the last time had been a major loss to our people. But King Terenas is once again asking for the continued allegiance of the elves." He said with a nod toward Eva, whose curiosity had peaked. "For this I must know I have the support of the council of Silvermoon, to withdraw ourselves from their alliance." He added finally. Evangeline snapped back to reality.

"But your highness, the humans have been a great help to us in the past, especially during the troll wars, we cannot simply ignore them when they came to help us so quickly." Evangeline said with her sapphire eyes like slits. "They never abandoned us in Zul'Aman." Several nobles shifted uncomfortably, it was obvious they did not want to have anything to do with the humans, but could not deny that they had been helpful.

"Evangeline, as a former commander who has personally fought side by side with the humans I would expect as much. But this must be brought to a vote, those who would like to remain in political ties with the humans move to my right, those who would withdraw our alliance, even after the recent reminder of their help, move to my left." The king spoke quickly and forcefully.

Evangeline had been the sole elf present that had moved to the kings right, which caused something to stir inside her. "Even through all their help, you would abandon them so quickly? Without them, the trolls of Zul'Aman would still pose a threat to our great city. Knowing now that you would abandon them so quickly makes me glad I had them on the battlefield, and not the lot of you!" Evangeline seethed quietly.

"If you're so in favor of helping those mortals, then perhaps you should! We would need an ambassador to keep ties with them, if we were to keep in contact with their people." One noble sneered. "Maybe after you've actually spent time with them, you'll begin to see them for what they really are."

"What? Courageous? Reliable? Righteous? These are all the qualities you lack. I have spent time with them. In war, that is when you truly know someone, when your life is in their hands and they have the choice to help you, or to leave you for dead. The only reason I'm alive today, the reason anyone in that war is alive today is because of the brave fighters that gave their lives in defense of this land. So don't come to me and tell me to "see them for what they really are", because I know them better than any of you." Evangeline said with a sniff of indignation. The room had grown quiet; no one dared speak or argue, lest they feel Eva's sharp tongue.

"Well, I guess that settles it. Evangeline Goldenleaf, welcome back to the high elven government, from this day forth you shall be our first ambassador to the human nation of Lordaeron." Anasterian Sunstrider said with a chuckle. "You are all relieved, have a blessed day!" Eva was visibly distraught as the many political figures exited the throne room.

"Sire, I've retired, I'm not going to be an ambassador." She said pitifully.

"Well, you've not given us much choice. Not many able elves are willing to leave for Lordaeron and become our relation to the humans. In fact, you're the only one that didn't yell in disgust at the prospect. You're our only candidate." He said quietly while taking a seat on his throne.

"But, my king, I'm not a candidate. I did not volunteer; you picked me without first speaking to me." She spoke quickly.

"Evangeline, you did not give me much choice. It was obvious you weren't going to settle with withdrawing our alliance, and it was also impossible to keep relations without a high elven figurehead in Lordaeron. Now tell me, do you wish to withdraw your candidacy even though you're abandoning the whole human nation with but this choice? Think hard Evangeline. To everything, especially what you said earlier." He continued, staring deep into her eyes.

She shifted uncomfortably on her heels. Both were undesirable prospects, but she knew her duty, and it felt as if she were fulfilling a promise at the same time. "King Anasterian Sunstrider… When shall I leave for the humans' capital?"

* * *

><p>Days of preparation had gone by; she had visited with her friends and said her final goodbyes. Ali'isha and Bren'de had been particularly upset. They had even gone so far as to threaten her to stay, needless to say, that didn't work out. Her parents had also come to visit, bringing Paco with them once again, however as usual; her siblings were too busy to attend.<p>

"My baby, you just got back from war! You can't leave again so soon, and this is for a very long time." Mal'orie chided her. Paco walked up and brushed himself across Eva's legs.

"Mama, it's not a decision I'm taking lightly, believe me, if I had the choice I would stay." She said while kneeling down to pet Paco.

"Then don't go, let the humans take care of their own problems. It's none of our business what happens to them, their wars are not our own!" Her mother continued angrily.

"Mama!" Evangeline pleaded, looking to her father for help. "They're the reason I'm still alive today, and not written on a statue of remembrance."  
>A knock at the door ended the feud between mother and daughter. "I'll get it!" Xylas jumped at the occasion to leave the room of angry women. "Ahh, he's arrived. Mal'orie, the painter you've sent for has arrived."<p>

"About time too!" Her mother chirped happily, her bad mood forgotten.

"Painter? What painter, what's going on here?" Eva questioned.

"Your mother thought that it would be a long time till you see us again and maybe you should have a picture of our family together as a memory." Xylas stated quietly, brushing his short red hair with his fingers.

"Okay you two, get together, I want this to be perfect. No frowny faces, that means you Eva!" Her mother sang musically.

The painting had taken but a few hours to complete, but it was a masterpiece in its own right. Evangeline adorned in her diplomatic armor and ready to set off to the kingdom of Lordaeron, was standing in the foreground, brooding at her current and long term situation.

"Mother, it's nearly time for me to leave, I have to go; they're waiting for me." She complained, as a young child would to their parents.

"Patience child, I'm not done yet." Her mother chastised quietly. "Here's the painting, don't ruin it or lose it, I'll be heartbroken if you do. And take Paco with you, the poor dear is mopey every time you're away." Mal'orie beamed a huge smile as she saw her daughters brimming contentment at the thought of bringing her childhood friend along with her. "I'm going to miss you so much sweetie. You don't even know. And I love you so much more than I can describe, I hope you have a good time." Mal'orie ended, tears forming in her eyes as she began sniffling.

"I will miss you daughter; I'll be counting down the days until you return home. Just as I did all those years ago when you left for war." Her father said with a smile, obviously to hide the hurt in his eyes.

"Mother, Father, I will miss you more than I can ever imagine now. And before you know it, I will be back home, into your loving embrace." She said with a smile. She held no tears in her eyes, only quiet determination as she thought of her return to Silvermoon. She would see everyone again soon enough. As they all stood together in an emotional hug, Evangeline thought of everything she was sacrificing for this mission. But she knew, deep down, that it was the best thing for everyone.

Her parents had walked with her and Paco to the outskirts of the city, where her royal caravan awaited, before setting off. Surprisingly enough, standing next to the carriage was King Anasterian Sunstrider.

"Evangeline, I never expected you to follow through with this to be honest, you are a lot stronger than I give you credit for. Leaving your friends, family, culture, city and pretty much everything you've ever known." He said with a large, genuine smile plastered on his glowing face. "Remember, you are representing me, and I place my entire faith in you. I know you'll make your people, and me, proud."

"Thank you my king, that means a great deal to me" She said, bowing deeply in respect.

"This caravan will take you straight to the capital city of Lordaeron, once there you are to meet with King Terenas Menethil II, you shouldn't run into any trouble but if you do, I've posted guards to follow your caravan." Anasterian said respectfully, and as he turned to the guards he waved a final farewell to the departing elf.

The carriage she was riding in was pulled by a dozen white hawkstriders, a beautiful bird native to Quel'thalas. The carriage itself was in the shape of a garlic and was the same color as one, aside from the windows draped with red curtains and golden borders surrounding the door and windows.

Evangeline picked up Paco in her left arm and entered the cart, happily enough the interior was rather spacious. Dark blue and gold Pillows littered the floor while canisters of wine and food were cluttered in the far corner. It was obvious the caravan was designed for long trips with comfort in mind. _Hopefully the trip will be short and sweet. I don't like being cooped up for too long in the same place_. Setting Paco down gracefully on the floor, she turned to close the door, and with a final farewell to her king, and Quel'thalas itself, she slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>The trip had gone a lot worse than expected, the caravan had been attacked twice by crazed forest creatures and the weather had been horrible since the day she left. <em>If this is what I have to look forward to in Lordaeron<em>. She thought with a grimace as she snuggled closer into her blankets. Paco curled up on her stomach. _Then I'm looking less forward to it than I had this trip_.

The days went by slowly, and having nothing to do inside the caravan all day, Eva simply let her mind wander off as she watched the drops of water fall from the sky to the earth. Thinking back to everything she had left behind; her mother, her father, her two best friends in the whole world, her home and her life in general. She would not be able to pick up where she left off. She would be alone in Lordaeron, the only high elf in miles, what a lonely existence she was going to lead.

She sighed quietly as she turned from her seat next to the window, how long had she been gone? She couldn't tell since the sun had never risen; it definitely felt like a long time that's for sure. But as soon as she thought she would go mad, a silhouette appeared on the evening horizon. It was the kingdom of Lordaeron, the seat of power of the humans on Azeroth. The stony grey castle was huge and rather somber looking. Remembering the beautiful, bright halls of Silvermoon, she couldn't help but let out a whimper. This castle looked cold and dark and she assumed its people would be as well. Was she ever in for a surprise.

Rolling into the castle's entrance, Evangeline noticed a large crowd of people had gathered there to welcome her into their kingdom. And standing in the middle of a passage between the frenzied clusters stood the king and queen of Lordaeron, Terenas and Lianne Menethil. Nervously Evangeline backed away from the doors, but the high elf guards that had accompanied her on her journey opened them up wide for her to exit.

Breathing in deeply, she picked up Paco and exited the carriage; her guards immediately followed behind, keeping a close eye on the humans gathered on both sides. The king and queen smiled as soon as their eyes fell upon Eva, and moved down the aisle to greet her.

"It is an honor to have you in our kingdom, Evangeline Goldenleaf. We are so pleased that you would agree to an alliance between our people." King Terenas spoke kindly, all cheering had fallen dead as the people listened to what they were saying. "I understand your people's reluctance to join in our troubles, but I'm very grateful that you agreed to join with us in this struggle."  
>"King Terenas, I have fought alongside humans before, in a war long ago before even your grandparents were born. It was called the troll wars." All heads were turned toward Evangeline as she told the story fluidly, but still with somewhat of an accent, in common. "It was a time of great pain for my people, the trolls were barbaric and savage, lacking any intelligence at all; but they had the numbers to overwhelm us." Taking a deep breath in as she remembered the foggy details of the war, she continued. "Our king debated with the human empire of Arathor, your ancestors, for their help and they listened. In battle, they were the fiercest and most loyal soldiers I had fought beside in a long time. I myself was commander of the high elven military at the time, and the reason I am here Terenas, is not to help you fight in another war. It is to fulfill a promise that I made, to help humanity in whatever way I can. And I will help, by keeping the elves on your side." She ended with a dignified sniff.<p>

"And that is all we ask, that you continue to be a beacon of light in these otherwise desperate and dark times." King Terenas ended with a smile. "Come, my dear, let me show you your new home!"

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><p>Evangeline eventually let Paco down, as his constant squirming was getting quite frustrating, but he behaved himself nicely and merely followed the stupefied elf. She had not expected the castle to be so rich with culture, sure it was as cold as she first expected but, what was to be done?<p>

"Evangeline, before I show you to your quarters, I'd like you to meet my children." And he made a quick detour down another hall. Coming to a large, but cozy, room with a massive fireplace and a couple chairs, she noticed two humans standing side by side.

The girl was petite, the same size as Eva was; her hair was long and straight and was the color of a chestnut. Her eyes were a pretty color hazel and her mouth was kept up in a permanent smile. The man, however, was huge compared to Eva. She even had to take a step back to not feel as intimidated by him. His hair was the color of gold and it swept down gracefully to his shoulders, his eyes were a mesmerising ocean green color. He had a kind face, but his general size and bulkiness kept her from feeling calm. Obviously noting her discomfort, the man chuckled good naturedly.

"This is my eldest child, Calia" he said pointing to the petite girl on the right, who curtseyed in turn. "And this is my son, and heir to the throne of Lordaeron, Arthas Menethil." He finished, giving his son a smile.

Arthas turned to Evangeline and began to greet her. "It's nice to finally meet you, Evangeline; my father has been talking of your arrival for some time now." His arm reached out to grab hers. Automatically, she drew away, in high elven culture; it was not customary for a man to touch a woman unless otherwise told, or if they knew each other well. Seeing her discomfort he moved back. "I'm sorry; I did not mean to offend you. May I please have your hand?" He asked in a low voice, bringing his eyes to hers, humour danced playfully within them.

"Um, sure." Eva said tentatively as she gave him her tiny hand. At once his giant hands engulfed hers as he knelt to the ground. Bringing it up to his face, he landed a small kiss at the top of Eva's hand before returning it to her. Embarrassment flooded her, she bashfully cough and turned head away from the unexpected kiss.

Arthas, clearly amused at her expression, laughed once again before stepping back to his father.

"I was just on my way to show Evangeline to her room, but now that I've found you two, perhaps you may show her and her little pet hmm?" King Terenas said while stifling a laugh. Evangeline looked at him in horror; he was leaving her with his children? "It'll be fine, ambassador, my children know this castle as well as I. Perhaps even better" He said with a mischievous wink of his eye to Arthas. The latter simply grinned back at his father.

"What's Quel'thalas like? Is everyone there as pretty as you? How old are you? What's it -" Calia hadn't stopped asking questions since the king took his leave, and Eva didn't even know where to start with answering them all.

"Uhh…" Was the only word she could get in edgewise.

"Calia, stop pestering our guest, she's probably exhausted! Actually, I can bring her to her room myself; maybe you should get ready for dinner?" Arthas said while pointedly tipping his head.

"Pfft, you're no fun at all Arthas!" She steamed as she marched off to her room.

"Hah, I thought she'd never shut up." He said lightheartedly once his sister was gone. "What's wrong, can't you talk?" He laughed as he turned to Eva.

"I can talk; I just don't have the opportunity." She stated indignantly. "Anyway, what is there to talk about, apparently you all know everything about me already!"

"Plenty to talk about! I heard you used to be commander of the high elven army, what was that like?" He asked curiously. She turned to face him and eyed him cautiously.

"It was good, for a time, commanding an army requires discipline and a lot of time and patience. But as you probably understand, it takes its toll. Especially when you go to war." She said casually.

"I wouldn't know." He said, keeping his face straight ahead as he spoke.

"You wouldn't know what?" Eva asked.

"What it's like to command an army, what it's like to go to war, I've never done it yet. I was too young during the first war." He said with a laugh.  
>She turned to gaze at him. "I hope you never have to experience it. War is never fun, even if you're on the winning side, because either way you look at it, you lose."<p>

Smiling, he looked at her again. "I hear you're a paladin."

"Yes, you heard correct. I was a paladin once. I no longer am, I'm no longer part of the army and as such I'm not titled with such names." She said with a grin.

"I'm a paladin. Well, I will be, as soon as I'm inducted into the knights of the silver hand by my mentor, Uther the Lightbringer. It should be any time now, since I've finally finished my training." He said with a great interest.

"Oh, really? I didn't think you were, I would have thought you to be more of a warrior type." Evangeline said, evidently surprised.

His mouth twitched upward. "Yes, I'm a paladin. Maybe we can train together sometime? I'd love to see how differently we were taught." He said happily.

"I taught myself, prince, I was never taught the path of a paladin. It was all me, and the light, nothing more." She said quietly.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye as they trudged on. "Well, I'd still like to see your moves, and then we can decide, who's better."

"It doesn't matter whose better, Arthas, as long as you follow your heart." She looked on ahead.

"Well, I think I've brought you around this hall one to many times. Maybe I should let you go to your room for some rest." He smiled at her confusion. "Dinner won't be for a while, ambassador Goldenleaf. So do take your time. But my father had something chosen for you to wear to dinner; he said it will probably be more comfortable than what you are wearing now." He smiled and with a bow, left her at the entrance of a grand room. Her room; for the next century or two.

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><p><strong>Hmm, I can't tell if my writing's getting better, <strong>**or worse.**

**Help me by taking your mouse and clicking the review ****button below. **

**T****hat is all.**

**Regards ~Evastar***


	6. Celebrations

**The good parts are finally coming yay :D**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><strong><em>Celebrations<em>**

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn

for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles,

but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly"

~Buddha

* * *

><p>Evangeline stared quietly into the room designated to be hers. It was much larger than her home in Quel'thalas, but it lacked the luster and culture of the former. This caused her to feel a pang of home sickness; she paced hesitantly into the large room. Paco immediately began sniffing the entire place, looking for a good area to call his own. "Aww, little Paco. Trying to become an explorer? Why don't you look around the room to make sure there aren't any meanies waiting in the shadows." Evangeline giggled toward her excited pet, who trudged on determinedly, looking in every crack and shadow visible.<p>

Her chamber wasn't what she was used to, not by a long shot, but at least it had sort of a homey feel to it. The floors were made of a dark grey stone, the same stone that was used throughout the castle. Cold permeated from its depths, even going so far as to seep into Evangeline's plate boots causing a shiver to travel up and down her spine. The dark crimson walls sat silently on all sides of the chamber. They rose majestically into the cathedral ceiling where they formed into arches and other architectural designs. Parallel to the door at which she was standing, Evangeline looked through a massive loft window, streaming up towards the ceiling and down toward the floor. It was so large that it stretched over the entire wall, and only a small layer of stone was present at either ends. On the far right of the room was a gigantic bed, easily made to allow several people ample amount of space to sleep. It was made of a dark, rich wood that clawed out four times at the bottom in every corner so that the bed rested at least six feet off the ground. The feet continued to elongate upwards forming above the bed in a sort of canopy, entwined in them was a sheer, pearl drape that grew over the overhang like a wild jungle vine. On the bed rested a massive mattress, with a rich crimson duvet. Dozens of soft pillows littered the upper half of the bed, some were the colors of a ripe pomegranate and others, which were the considerably smaller ones, were a pleasant sunshine gold.

Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling casting a dim light throughout the room, and in the corners, allowed shadows to snake up into a dark abyss. A circular rug was spread out over the floor in the centre of the room, resting there silently in front of the bed. Paco moved onto it, curling up in the centre and resting his weary chin on his cold, crystalline paws. Opposite to the bed and rug was a massive stone fireplace, the pigmentation of which was slightly lighter than the floor but none the less cold. Rising from its hollow bowels flickered angry sparks of light, flames weaving into each other in eternal torment, wishing either to be free or extinguished as they ate hungrily at the wood which gave them strength.

To the right of the door, a smaller room extended into a large closet, where thousands of beautiful dresses and garments hung lavishly on their hangars. Completely mesmerized by the varying colors of the dresses, Eva moved into the closet with awe. "Oh my, Paco! I think I'm going to like it here!" She called excitedly as she began looking through the clothes. She moved between the racks of clothes holding a couple in her hands before placing them back and moving on to the others. A dresser lay at the far end of the closet, holding upon, and within it, several luxurious pieces of jewellery. Moving toward it carefully, Evangeline held up one of the necklaces and stared at it wide eyed. _Wait a minute; I'm supposed to be an ambassador. I'm not here to play dress up! _Evangeline stood straight and gave herself a shake before exiting the room.

Pacing around the outskirts of the room, Evangeline came to a stop at the foot of her bed, where she gazed at a lovely rose dress strewn out over the duvet. To its side was a pair of rose shoes, with rounded toes and a three inch heel. _My father had something chosen for you to wear to dinner. _Evangeline immediately remembered what the prince had said, and looked toward the dress in horror. "I'm an ambassador; I need to look professional, not like a primping guest! Paco, can you believe this." She said with a look to her sleeping feline. With a sigh she moved toward the window and stared outside. The nighttime was quiet and peaceful, and the only things moving were the soldiers inching back and forth on the castle walls, keeping a vigilant watch over the sleeping city.

At that moment the double doors to her room flung open and in walked a tiny woman. Calia looked from a startled Evangeline to the dress lying on the bed and back again with her immortal smile plastered on her face. "Why, Eva, you're going to be late for dinner. Why aren't you ready yet? Father sent me to get you; everyone is heading down to eat." She said with a brimming smile. "He and mother took quite a lot of care in choosing that dress out for you; they would be rather upset if you didn't wear it." She stated with an exaggerated pout.

"Oh" Eva said awkwardly, "I wasn't sure if I was meant to wear that or something. I didn't know supper was a formal affair."

"It isn't. Well tonight is because you just got here, so everyone wanted to put on their best faces. Even I'm dressed a lot fancier than I usually am." Calia said, gesturing to her long, dark green dress. The neckline was rounded off, and the sleeves trailed all the way down to her wrists. The material was fuzzy and comfortable looking, most probably velvet, but it didn't look very fancy in Eva's mind. Then again, Silvermoon city was always full of nobles wearing the highest couture, and the most expensive articles of clothing available.

"Well, princess, you're dress is very pretty, but I don't think I can wear this to dinner. I'm an ambassador, not a dinner guest." Eva said with a polite smile.

"Tonight you are a dinner guest Eva, don't worry, it'll look great on you. I'll tell everyone to wait up and I'll send someone to fetch you and bring you down when you're ready." Calia said loudly with a smile.

"Um, okay princess. I'll be down in a minute then" Evangeline said with a strained laugh.

"Perfect, I can't wait to see how it looks." She said cheerfully. "And don't be calling me princess, you can call me Calia, that's why I was named in the first place." She said with a giggle before skipping off.

Evangeline moved to the door and shut it silently, standing there for a couple seconds with her hands on the handle. Shaking herself out of her reverie, she moved to her bed and began the task of unbuckling her shinning blue plated armor. When she had completely undressed she peered suspiciously at the dress, pawning it awkwardly before throwing it over her head and onto her body.

It hugged her upper body comfortably, the neckline moving straight across her chest, and the sleeves falling gracefully from her shoulders to her arms. The bottom part of the dress hung loosely over her lithe legs, ending just above her knees in the front and falling all the way to the ground in the back. Golden filigree bordered the trim of the dress at the bottom, while the rest of the dress remained the lovely dusty rose. The dress was made of satin, but held none of the shine associated with that material, it simply hung hypnotically from Eva's tall, supple figure.

Evangeline looked at herself in joy; it had been a long time since she had dressed up so much. Dancing gracefully toward the bed, whilst at the same time avoiding to step on a sleeping Paco, she picked up the two sateen shoes and placed them onto her tiny, pale feet.  
>"Wow, this is a beautiful dress. But it feels as if it's missing something." Evangeline said, gazing into her large mirror questioningly. "Ah, that's exactly what I need"<p>

Evangeline walked quickly over to a side table that sat at the side of her bed. On its dark wooden surface lay a long golden pendant. Evangeline picked it up with a smile and gently placed it over her neck as the thin golden chain wrapped comfortingly around her, and at the bottom hung a large golden leaf that sat reassuringly over her chest. Quickly, she moved back to the mirror to fix her messy honey colored hair that had come out of place. _Up, or down? Or up? Or down? Ugh, I don't know, which one looks better? Hmm._ She was looking anxiously into the mirror before settling on having her long hair down. She styled it according to her mood, curling it slightly at the bottoms while it remained straight near the roots.

Suddenly a knock sounded loudly on her door. Moving up gracefully to unlock the massive wooden doors, Evangeline opened them up wide to receive her guest.

"My lady, princess Calia sent me to fetch you and bring you down to dinner. My name is Falric, and I work as captain of the royal guard for the Menethil family." He breathed in a gruff, but kind voice. "Are you ready to leave, or shall I come back in a minute or two?"

"No, captain Falric, I'm ready to go. Thank you." Eva smiled kindly at him, taking in every detail of his being. He was a large man, not old, but not very young either. The life expectancy for humans was horrifyingly low compared to an elf, and Eva couldn't help but look at the man in pity. But he carried himself with continued dignity and courage befitting of a warrior. He was clad head to toe in shinning silver armor with the Lordaeron crest emblazoned into his breastplate. To his side hung a large sword, more than half the size of Evangeline. He had a kind face with no facial hair, making him appear much younger than he truly was, and he had dark brown eyes that played around in the light. He had a full head of dark brown hair, but the roots were beginning to be greyed by his increasing age.

Falric walked swiftly down the lengthy corridors, his plate clanking at every step, casting eerie echo's across the hall. Evangeline had to speed herself up considerably to keep up with his long stride, and found it rather hard to keep up with the massive captain. From the corner of his eye, Falric noticed her struggle and slowed down with a sigh.

"Forgive me captain, but I'm not used to walking so fast anymore." She apologized to him, stealing a glance at his face. He looked down at her kindly, his eyes smiling just as much as his mouth.

"It's no problem at all my lady, it really is my fault, I should have taken into consideration your… size." Falric said with a smirk, before helping Eva down the stairs.

She looked at him with a grin before descending the stairs.

"I'm also anxious to get back to the keep, my friend and second in command, is waiting for me to begin our night watch. Someone has to keep an eye out for that marauding Horde." He said with a gruff chuckle. Noticing her worried face he added, "But don't you worry, nothing is going to happen as long as we keep watch. You'll all be fine," Evangeline turned to smile at him before entering the dining room.

"I believe you."

Eva walked into the dining room quietly, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. It was loud and the king and his son were exchanging jokes and laughing whole heartedly.  
>"Ahh, Evangeline, nice of you finally join us. Might I say that the dress looks exquisite on you." The king said with a loud laugh that made the whole room shake. In the corner of the room was a group of musicians, playing a lively tune that coincided with the atmosphere around them.<p>

"Thank you, your highness, it fits perfectly." Evangeline said, blushing faintly.

"Well, now that you've arrived we can finally eat. I'm hungrier than a bear!" He boomed loudly.

Arthas had been eyeing Eva ever since she had entered the room, his teeth glinting through his large smile. "You look very pretty tonight ambassador. Tell me, how do you like your room?" He asked with his smile forever smeared on his face.

"Thank you prince Arthas. The room is lovely, not what I'm used to, but definitely roomy and warm." She said with a smile.

Queen Lianne turned to her with a sweet smile, "Don't worry, in time it will begin to feel more like home. And if there's anything I can do, just ask."

"Thank you very much your majesty." Evangeline said kindly.

"Lady Evangeline," Arthas began before taking a small sip of wine. "I was wondering if you were going to be present tomorrow at the celebration."  
>Evangeline looked at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of any celebrations, I just arrived here today" she said awkwardly.<p>

"Oh, well tomorrow I'm being inducted into the knights of the silver hand. It's an order created by Archbishop Alonsus Faol and my mentor Uther the Lightbringer. I would be honored if you would come, almost everyone is going to be there and I can introduce you to people within the order. They would be really pleased to meet you since you are also a paladin." Arthas said excitedly, and for the first time since arriving here, Eva saw past his size and brawn and noticed his childish nature and happiness. Smiling fondly at him, she gave him her promise that she would come to his ceremony, and she always kept her promises.

The next day had gone by in a flash, the whole kingdom was preparing for their prince's ceremony. Merchants were setting up shops while festivities were going on in the streets. Music played in the town square as children danced around in circles to the beat, Evangeline had not seen such merriment in a long time, and Paco had had an amazing time. Walking happily down the cobblestone path, the same dress as she had worn to dinner the night before danced playfully in the wind, Eva listened to the beautiful music drifting through the air.

"Miss, would you care to try a cake? They are truly spectacular." A merchant approached Eva with a small pink cake in his right hand, holding it out toward her.

"Thank you very much sir, how much do I owe you?" She asked as she happily took the cake from his outstretched hand.

"Nothing at all miss, a lovely damsel such as you doesn't need to pay a thing, just have a good time at the ceremony." He said while shaking his head. "Long live King Terenas Menethil II!"

With a smile toward the generous man, Eva continued her trek back to the castle, every so often passing villagers who would stare at her in stupor or approach her and start conversations. People here were a lot friendlier than her friends in Silvermoon had said, perhaps it was the elves' arrogant nature and easy dismissal of the 'lesser' races. _Well, won't I have stories to tell them! Wrong as usual, just like during the troll wars._ She gave a laugh of pure contempt at the thought of dismissing every word made by the snobbish nobles.

"Evangeline?"

Eva twirled around happily to the face the person talking behind her. Calia peered at Evangeline through the bright sunlight and gave a squeal of delight.

"Ah, Evangeline it is you! I was hoping I'd find you out here, we're ready to begin and my brother told me to fetch you. He looks so elegant in his vestments; I can't wait for you to see him." She said, grabbing Eva's hand and dragging her toward the palace.

"Okay Calia, I can walk myself though, you're going to make me trip in these heels." Eva said calmly, eyeing her cake greedily before taking a small bite. "How long will this thing be exactly?"

"Well, the induction ceremony should only take about thirty minutes. The party however, will continue on until the wee hours of the night. Oh, and since you're our ambassador now, you have to be there. So, yeah, no getting out of it." Calia said with sly smile.

"You know me so well so soon." Evangeline said with a roll of her sapphire eyes. Calia laughed musically and marched on.

Calia had been true to her word, the ceremony merely lasted a half hour. A half hour of pure boringness! It took Eva every ounce of her strength not to collapse on the floor, or snore at every word said by the archbishop. But, after what seemed like a lifetime of endless torment, it was finally over and Evangeline breathed a sigh of relief before exiting toward the ball room.

The ball room was a grand chamber, with windows spreading all across the walls and up into the ceiling. From there, one could see the darkening sky as the first signs of twilight gave way. Large chandeliers fell awkwardly from the glass ceiling and cast golden light throughout the bright room. Arthas had not been joking when he said _everyone_ would be present, Evangeline was sure that there were more people present than at a festival in Silvermoon city.

Walking shyly through the bustle, Evangeline looked around desperately for someone she knew. Her eyes moved wildly until she caught sight of the princess speaking animatedly with a congress of people. _She looks too busy_. Evangeline thought quietly. _Plus, I don't really want to be surrounded by complete strangers just yet. _She continued her mission, looking at every face without pausing to speak to any of them, simply starring blindly until she saw familiar features.

Back in Quel'thalas, Evangeline had been very outspoken, as charismatic as one could get. But here, without the comfort of her home or friends, all she could do was allow herself to wander silently through the dancing euphoria.

"My dear ambassador, come here a minute why don't you? I have someone I'd like you to meet!" King Terenas spoke cheerfully through the lively music.

"Yes, your highness." She answered in a small voice.

"Evangeline, I would like you to meet Uther the Lightbringer. He's one of the paladin's of the Silver Hand as well as Arthas' successful mentor. I just couldn't stop speaking of you and he wanted to meet you first hand." The king spoke merrily as he guided her toward a greying man, adorned in a silver plated armor. His general figure seemed to be swallowed by a bright light that surrounded him.

"So, you're the paladin I've heard so much about. The king and queen cannot stop praising you; Arthas cannot stop talking of you. I just had to meet you first hand my lady." The man named Uther spoke as he approached Evangeline and the king.

"I've heard quite a bit about you as well, paladin, it's nice to finally meet the one that had taught Arthas everything he knows." Evangeline spoke musically, her eyes narrowed slightly with her lips turning up in the corners.

"Well, I have other guests to attend to. Why don't I just leave the two of you to your stories hmm?" The king said before trudging off and loudly joking to a noble he clasped, rather roughly, on the shoulder.

Evangeline's eyes had followed him the whole way, completely unaware of anything around her. _Ahem. _Whirling her head around to face the paladin she was with, Evangeline blushed a profuse crimson color and coughed a couple times to hide her embarrassment.

"I was told you are also a paladin, lady Goldenleaf, might I ask how long you've been one for?" He said kindly, curiosity burning within his blue eyes. She laughed in tune with the beautiful alto music playing in the background.

"Much longer than you, or even your entire kingdom has existed. I've been a paladin for as long as I can remember, which is a very long time indeed Lightbringer." Evangeline said, smiling fondly up at him.

"I hope I'm not imposing, but how old are you exactly." He asked, before turning a light shade of pink. "Forgive me my brash behaviour miss; I do not know what came over me."

"It's quite all right Lightbringer; it's a question I expected to hear a lot sooner. I'm about two thousand eight hundred years old." She said with a mischievous smile.

"My, that is a long time indeed; you've had quite a long time to perfect your class haven't you." He said with shock. "But, you don't look a day over twenty in our eyes, if that makes you feel any better." He said with a humorous glint on his face.

Evangeline smiled and looked down at her dress, she grasped awkwardly at its soft rose fabric. Twirling it in her fingers, clasping it and letting it go, patting it softly back into place after she had wrinkled the material. "Yes, elves live much longer than humans do. And we don't age at the same pace as humans either. Really, and elf isn't mature until their one thousandth birthday, so you're quite right. I am not a day over twenty in human years." She said solemnly.

"Ahh, then you've got quite a few years left eh?" He said mildly, before turning to a newcomer. "Arthas, I was just speaking to our latest arrival. She's quite something."

"Yeah, she's great!" Arthas said with a smile

"Well, I best be going. Alonsus and I have some… business to attend to at the monastery." Uther said calmly. "Congratulations again, I cannot wait to see how you put your new power to use."

"Thank you Uther. I wish you and the Archbishop well, and good luck with your business." He called after his once mentor. "Well, Eva, how do you like the party?" He asked as he turned to face her tiny figure.

"It's - lively." She said with a confused smile.

All of a sudden, a large man clad in silver armor shoved his way to the prince.

"Sire, there is something I must tell you." Captain Falric spoke in a hurry.

"By all means captain. It'll just be one moment Eva." Arthas spoke, eyes narrowed with concern. Eva had told him to take all the time he wanted before looking away.

Evangeline's eyes roamed around the room endlessly before falling on a new figure, probably a late arrival. He was adorned in a dark black armor, from head to toe nothing could be seen but endless swirls of ebon plate. The menacing figure moved slowly through the throng of guests, his head, covered by a large black plated helmet that jutted out in a couple of metal horns, swung around looking for something in particular. A fel green haze permeated from the eye sockets of the monstrous helm, moving from one face to another before locking with Evangeline.

No one seemed to notice, or care about the hulking figure that moved briskly across the room toward the prince and Falric. It had taken all of Eva's attention to rip her gaze away from the man that approached them.

"Perhaps we should speak with my father then Falric?" Arthas' voice had torn her from the hypnotic trance that she had fallen into.

"No, it isn't urgent enough to demand his attention at this very moment. But, we may need to have a word with him at the end of the celebration." Falric said in a hushed voice. Arthas looked up in concern, only now noticing the black figure that moved toward him.

"Marwyn." The prince said casually, smiling up at the hulking figure.

Evangeline moved back slowly, nearly bumping into a plump noble, never taking her eyes off the mysterious figure before her.

"Prince Arthas." The figure growled respectfully. "Congratulations on your induction into the order of the Silver Hand."

"Thank you Marwyn." The prince smiled happily at the praise. "I hope you and Falric were enjoying yourselves."  
>"We were sire, thank you." Falric spoke with a smile, and moving next to his friend.<br>Marwyn stood a couple inches taller than Falric, which put him at about the same height as Arthas. Both men clasped each other's shoulders as if they've been friends forever.

Feeling out of place surrounded by the massive men, Evangeline tried to make a break for the other end of the room, looking around desperately for Calia or, someone. Needless to say, she was not as inconspicuous as she wanted and thus, earned a lot more attention than she had wanted.

"My lady, it's quite nice to see you again. Don't tell me you're trying to run off already?" Falric called to her, amusement glinting in his eyes.

Evangeline froze in place, squeezing her eyes shut before turning around, a massive fake smile plastered on her brightly lit face.

"Falric, how nice to see you again. I didn't expect to see you here." She spoke quickly, chastising herself for not being subtle enough.

"You weren't trying to run away were you Eva?" Arthas joked kindly, mischief playing on all his features. "We didn't even have the chance to introduce you to our good friend Marwyn."

The black, hulking figure turned toward her small, frightened shape. From somewhere within the macabre plate, Eva heard a ghostly chuckle echo, causing a frozen shiver to travel up her spine. Fiddling casually with the silk trimming of her dress, Eva stopped staring at her feet and looked up to the man parallel to her.

"H-hello, there." She said, a small quake in her voice showing her discomfort. "It's very, um, _pleasant_ to meet you." Marwyn shrugged his shoulders casually, causing the huge spiked pauldrons to squeak restlessly, she cringed at the unpleasant sound.

"It is nice to finally meet _you_, Evangeline Goldenleaf. I must say, you don't look a thing as I expected. Then again, I can't say I've ever seen an elf before." He started in a frosty voice.

His voice once more caused shivers to invade her body, and she looked up at the plated man with a strained smile. Her eyes falling to the two massive swords on his sides, both exactly the same size as Falric's except Marwyn's were much darker and much more gruesome.

"Marwyn is also a captain, like Falric, he's the next in command of the royal militia." Arthas said happily, intruding on the cold showdown between Marwyn and Eva.

Snapping her head back to the prince, Eva smiled quietly before excusing herself to find Calia. As she moved away from the three men, she heard them chuckle lightly at the situation while Marwyn's eyes burned through her reddening skin.

It had taken Eva all of five minutes to finally find Calia, she was leaning quietly on a wall; her eyes closed in a sort of deathly peace. Evangeline had not been sure if she was resting or actually sleeping, and didn't know if she should try to wake her or continue on her way. Attendants moved in through the massive doors of the ballroom, carrying with them large tables for the supper that was to begin shortly. The loud banging of the setting tables and moving people caused such a ruckus that Eva didn't even have to make a decision whether to wake Calia up or not.

"Oh good, supper time. I'm starving, aren't you Eva?" The princess had moved up to Evangeline so silently that she barely noticed. The cold breath behind her mixed with the sound of Calia's voice caused Eva to jump out of her skin.

"My gosh Calia, you scared me!" She said, trying to regain her steady heartbeat.

Calia giggled happily before grabbing Eva's hand and leading her toward the grandest table, where the king and queen were sitting.

"Sorry, I thought you knew I was there. Come on, I want a good seat!" Calia said while waiting for a waiter to pull out the chair next to her mother.

Eva had just been about to take a seat next to Calia before a waiter snatched up her chair and dragged it backward. Evangeline stared at him in blank confusion, _but I was going to sit there_! The waiter didn't sit; he merely stared back at her, his eyes played mockingly with Eva's.

"Umm, why not take a seat Eva?" Calia looked up at her in confusion. Her own chair being pushed in by a different waiter._ Ohh_…

Eva took a seat on the chair, and the waiter briskly pushed her toward the table where her crystal goblet lay, filled with a tantalizing liquid.

"Is everything all right Eva? You look distracted." Calia looked at her in concern.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just Arthas introduced me to this really scary warrior, he was _huge_! I mean, really menacing looking." She said wide-eyed.

Calia laughed at her, "Oh, I bet you met Marwyn. Yeah, he's pretty scary looking in his armor but he's a real sweet heart, and so cute." She said with a wink of her hazel eyes. "I think… I think he's about the same age as my brother; they've been friends for such a long time."

Evangeline nearly choked on her wine. "Him, cute? He's so scary, how could you say that?" She said in stupor.

"Well, when you see his face, you'll know what I'm talking about." She giggled as the food was placed on her plate.

Evangeline gave her a confused look before turning to her own dish. The king had addressed the whole room, giving a toast to the future, his kingdom and his son. The music continued to play throughout the dinner as the guests ate happily, blissfully unaware of the problems yet to come.

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><p><strong>I heard (<strong>_Review_**) that if you repeat (**_Review_**) something often enough**

**(**_Review_**), it will be engrained within (**_Review_**) the long-term memory.**

**I believe (**_Review_**) it is called Rote (**_Review_**) Rehearsal!**

**Have a fantastical (**_Review_**) day!**

**Regards ~Evastar***


	7. Reunion

**Sorry this took so long to upload, starting exams**

**so I had very little time to do... anything.**

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><p><strong><em>Reunion<em>**

"Friendship is unecessary, like philsophy, like art..

It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things

that give value to survival."

~C.S. Lewis

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><p>The night had gone by too fast, and by the time morning came it was as if Eva had not even had a wink of sleep. She lay on her bed, tossing away from the massive window as the shining rays of light taunted and teased her fading sleep. Groaning in surrender, Evangeline sat up and rubbed her weary eyes. Paco jumped up and landed neatly by her side, rubbing his blue crystalline cheek over her arm.<p>

"Aww, silly Paco. Did you have a good night sleep? Huh, did you baby?" She said, cooing at the little creature at her side.

Paco tilted his head to the side and ran around in a circle, letting off a bit of energy.

"Show off, I wish I was that well rested. How did they treat you while I was out yesterday?" Eva had been wary of leaving Paco alone with strangers, but the castle's attendant and her daughter had a particular fondness for the crystal kitten. Paco himself seemed overjoyed at having someone else to play with, and thus he and the little girl played happily in Eva's room the entire evening until she returned.

Paco looked around the room before sitting down and starring at his stomach.

"Is your tummy grumbling Paco? Why don't you come along with me down to the kitchen? I'm sure they'll have something for you to snack on" Eva said with a tiny yawn from her coral pink lips. She bounced off her bed and moved toward the closet, she had noticed yesterday that human ambassadors did not wear armor, and so, with motivation from Calia, she would wear more – casual – clothes.

Evangeline took out a deep blue dress from her closet, the sleeves moved down from her shoulders until they ended at her wrists. The neckline scooped down into a deep V shape, while the rest of the dress fell limply to the ground. It was a plain dress, nothing that would gain attention, and she knew that no one would single her out of a crowd simply because of what she wore. It was what she _was_ that did that.

She went to the dresser and pulled out a couple of chain earrings. She placed one of the studs at a hole on the top part of her elongated ears, while she pinned the other into a hole a couple inches lower. Both studs were chained together by a lithe silvery white binding. While finishing up her second ear, Evangeline looked for something to complete her casual look. Opening the drawer she removed a black sash that she buckled around her waist.

"Okay Paco, I'm ready let's go!"

Paco and Evangeline moved down the familiar staircase to the dining hall. On their way, they past the kind attendant and her daughter, who paused to give Paco a quick rub on the cheek, before continuing with their work. Evangeline and Paco stopped at the entrance of kitchen and stole a couple glances around the big chamber. Being his usual fearless self, Paco trudged on into the kitchen, holding his tiny blue head high, while Eva inched in slyly behind him.

"Vat, are jou dooink in mah keetchun!" A man called from somewhere behind them.

Eva and Paco froze mid-stride, sweat forming at the top of her brow, Evangeline turned around with a guilty smile on her face. Paco let out a huff before turning around to face the massive and – rather plump, chef.

"Zee's, eez mah keetchun, vat do jou steenk jou are dooink eer?" He stated his eyes glowering madly between the elf and her pet. Clutched in his hand was a massive meat tenderizer.

Evangeline eyed the weapon warily, "I'm sorry sir, I was just looking for some food. King Terenas told me I could come here whenever I wanted."

"Ahh, keenk Terenas sent jou? Oki, oki, I saught jou ver a seef comink to steel mah foodt! Take vat jou neet, haha, sory for zee confusion." He said giving a hearty chuckle before continuing to pelt the meat with his huge cleaver.

Wide-eyed, and rather unsettle, Evangeline and Paco dashed to the cellar, took out some food and ran off without speaking to the chef again.

Paco had made his way back to the room himself, carrying in his mouth a hunk of meat larger than his whole body. Evangeline took with her an apple and roamed around the castle, looking for a nice place to enjoy the spring weather. She paced through the halls before coming to the giant stone archway that marked the threshold between the castle and the outdoor world. Sighing deeply; Evangeline moved into the cool air and it wrapped around her skin and caressed her gently.

She moved through the castle gardens quietly, grazing her fingers lightly over the red roses, or dancing merrily in the budding bushes. Evangeline stopped her trek once she came to a grey stone bench, wedged comfortably in the grass beside a massive willow tree. The branches of the willow swung down gracefully, billowing sadly in the wind. The solid tears moved back and forth in the spring breeze, making a barrier between the seat and Evangeline.

Taking care of the delicate fabrication, she pushed her way through its sparse branched wall and sat down quietly on the bench, munching at her shining red apple. In the distance Evangeline could hear the bustling of the town, but that required much concentration, and the only thing surrounding her now was overpowering silence. The kind of silence that exists when the world you live in disappears and there is nothing around but yourself, no people, no places, no memories, no thoughts, no dreams. Emptiness.

Eva closed her eyes, contemplating her new solitude, a lark intruded into her thoughts for but a minute before fading off in the distance. _Wow, this is really quiet. I think this will be my new meditative spot. I'm going to come here from now on, if only to escape the world for a little while_. The winds blew softly as she opened her eyes to the bright world in front of her.

Lordaeron had seemed like a terrible place to be a couple weeks ago, and now it seemed like the most serene place on Azeroth. The terrible feeling of unease she usually had was replaced with peace, and her fears and uncertainties faded like the dawn mist.

_Crunch, crunch, crunch, snap_. Eva opened an eye to see what had broken the general silence of her spot. She saw nothing in front of her, nothing to her sides and the sound had faded away. Frowning in confusion, she closed her eyes once more, and inhaled deeply. _Crunch, crunch, crunch_.

Evangeline exhaled, now irritated. She got up from her spot and looked around the tree. _Where on earth is that sound coming from_? She questioned. Finished her apple, she threw the core into a couple bushes, where it would decay and degrade in peace.

_Well, this was nice while it lasted_. Evangeline began moving toward the castle angrily, unwilling to leave behind her little niche. Until she heard a massive thud resound from behind her. Spinning around instantly, Eva faced the creator of the sound. Standing on his feet, clad head to toe in his ebon black armor, stood Marwyn.

"Oh my, what are you doing here?" She asked in shock, her heart racing in her chest.

"I _was_ enjoying a nice day off in the sun, on my favorite little spot in the tree, until _someone_ came to disturb my peace." He said with a frosty chuckle.

Evangeline looked around in confusion, until she realised he had meant her. "I'm sorry; I didn't know anyone was there. Who hides up in a tree anyway?" She asked, moving away slowly.

Marwyn moved toward her as he spoke. "There's no need to run off, I'm not going to hurt you Eva. _And _I wasn't hiding up in the tree, I was relaxing."

"Why didn't you ask me to leave when I got there then? Why just stare at me for, however long that was?" She asked, continuing her move backward until she edged into a tree. There was no escape now.

"You looked so peaceful; I didn't want to bother you. Plus you weren't doing me any harm, I saw no reason to send you off" He smiled beneath his large helm, the glowing green haze from his helm flickering calmly in the breeze.

Evangeline squirmed uncomfortably, she was between a huge tree trunk, and a (probably just a big) man that made her feel extremely awkward. She blushed mildly at his closeness, she had never been so close to Marwyn, and he was a lot larger than he was further away. Duh.

"Well, you can have your spot now. I was done; I'll just be getting back to the castle now. I probably have some things I need to do anyway." She faked a smile before swerving around the tree.

Marwyn scoffed at her. "You know, you're a terrible liar. I wanted to show you something, will you come with me?" He asked Eva in a low voice, reaching out his hand toward her own.

Her mind was conflicted;_ go with the man that you think will kill you or no_? She wrestled silently for two seconds before agreeing with Marwyn, placing her pale, trembling hand within his own.

He immediately began to guide her away from the castle, away from the garden, down a long winding dirt path. He carried her down the rocky steps and set her down carefully in a bed of orange Gerbera Daisies.

"Close your eyes." He ordered. Immediately, Evangeline snapped her eyes closed, smiling to herself and letting him guide her through the field of flowers. When they came to an obstacle, he would pick her up and carry her over before gently setting her back down on the soft ground.

They had walked for quite a bit before Marwyn stopped and told Eva to open her eyes. The light filtered in painfully to her opening eyes, tears formed quietly as she gazed out in front of her. Standing steadily before her was a maze of thorny red roses. Each bush carefully planted and each entrance carefully chosen.

"Oh, wow, this is beautiful Marwyn. Where are we?" She asked in wonder as her fingers brushed the petals of the early blooming flowers.

"This is the Queens' Garden, not Lianne's; even she doesn't know about it. Come on, it's a lot of fun." He said joyfully, stepping in the rose maze.

Evangeline hesitated, "but what if we get lost, how would we find our way out again?"  
>"Don't worry Eva; I've done this a thousand times." He said, the fel green haze rolling upward toward the sky. "Trust me."<p>

Only thirty minutes ago had Eva been completely and utterly afraid of the figure looming ahead of her, and now, it felt as if she wanted to trust him. To go with him. It felt, like the right thing to do. He stretched his hand out to grab hers, pulling her into the hypnotic scents and the euphoric setting. They walked and walked, and twisted and turned, and when they reached a wall they would laugh together and turn back around.  
>Evangeline loved the feeling of being so carefree, never in her life had she felt so happy and at peace. Marwyn brought out the better feelings in her now, no longer did she fear the hulking behemoth at her side, she felt safe, secure, happy.<p>

He turned to look at her, she moved determinedly through the maze, a small smile etched onto her delicate features. Tiny pearls of sweat forming at the top of her forehead and her soft blue dress trailed behind her in air.

Evangeline felt Marwyn's stare on her, and turned to face him. "What?" She asked with a smile.

"Nothing." He said before looking away, his hand holding hers tightly.

Evangeline looked at him and shrugged. Suddenly, Marwyn pulled her into an opening, which could have only been the centre of the maze. It was a huge sphere, surrounded by the forest of red roses growing as a fortress around them, the middle of the circle held a small fountain, still working and pearly white after all the years of neglect. At its side was a small hammock, wafting around in the light wind that sent cascades of rose petals to the cold earth before scooping them up and sending them swirling into the sky.

"Oh, this is beautiful Marwyn, how can no one know about this?" Evangeline breathed in awe.

"Some people do, not many people though, and even fewer actually make it to the centre. They're lucky if they can even make it out alive." He said with a soft chuckle. She turned to face him in horror.

"Haha, just kidding, don't worry. Everyone made it out in one piece!" He said with a smile.

Evangeline groaned and rolled her eyes to the sky before lying down on the hammock. Marwyn looked at her, and for the first time since she had met him, removed his helm.

Marwyn had a really handsome face, by far more attractive than the high elven men, by Eva's standards. He had a milky complexion, with a full head of tousled dark brown hair. He had a five o'clock shadow spreading over the lower part of his creamy face, while his vibrant green eyes stared out mysteriously into Eva's sapphire blue ones. A small smile played on his face as he put the helmet on the ground and moved toward Eva. Unconsciously she moved over to give him some room on the hammock, which he took.

When she went to roll back into her spot, she found that Marwyn's body had taken its place. Instead of landing on a soft material, she rolled onto a frozen plate of black armor, but she did not cringe at the feeling, did not shy away from the cold. Rather, she welcomed it into her life, and clung to it happily as she dozed off in his embrace.

She had woken to an unfamiliar place, her mind had not yet returned to her as she stared around blankly in the fading light. All around her, red roses danced playfully on their stems, while a fountain gurgled magically at her side. Beneath her, she found she clung to a man sound asleep, so peaceful, so serene. She stared into his face, mystified by him, _who was this man_?  
>So she laid, for a good while contemplating her surroundings, her feelings, the strange emotions she felt deep in her stomach. Feelings she had never felt before. She made a move to get up, to remove herself from the comforting cold, she did not want to, but felt she had to.<p>

He stirred beneath her, _oh boy, woke him up_. And his green eyes flickered open. At first he looked confused at the blond woman peering at him, her eyes glowing in the dying light of the sunset, the first stars visible past the caramel sheen of her hair. His memory came flooding back to him and he smiled at her.

They stayed there for a couple minutes, saying nothing at all, just staring into each other's eyes. Both feeling similar emotions, but not needing to express them with words. He closed his eyes and sat up, bringing her with him.

"We should get back; they'll be looking for you." He said with a chuckle, "and they'll be looking for me, but for an entirely different reason."

Evangeline pouted, she didn't want to leave, she was happy and peaceful here, she liked it here. This was the only place where it felt like home again. "You're right Marwyn."  
>They both sighed and got up, she was a bit wobbly on her feet when she first moved, but Marwyn held her tightly in his strong arms to keep her from falling. They walked through the maze, back and forth, twisting and winding, until they exited the Queens' Garden.<p>

Marwyn left her at the entrance of the castle, problems had arisen in his absence and Falric needed his help. Something was wrong.

Evangeline moved suspiciously through the halls of the great castle, guards running past her in a cacophony, the attendants rushing into their rooms and locking the doors. _What's going on_? Mid thought, Eva walked right into Arthas.

"Oh Eva, thank the light I've found you. There's a problem, but I don't think I'm the one that should tell you the details. Come with me." He ordered as he led her toward King Terenas' throne room. Barging through the doors and pushing through the throng of yelling people, Arthas and Eva came to the foot of the king's throne.

"Father, I've found her." Arthas said, kneeling to the floor for his father.

"Ah, Evangeline come with me." The king spoke hurriedly and led her hastily to the cities docks. Tied up to the docks, floated several high elven battle ships, drifting madly in the dark swirling waters. Evangeline and the king moved down the rocky stairs toward the boats, where several elves stood waiting to be addressed. Uther the Lightbringer, an old man Eva did not know and a young man she also did not know stood before a young high elven woman.

"Alleria Windrunner? Is that you?" Evangeline called out in shock. The elven woman turned her magical gaze toward Eva and a smile lit up on her face.

"Sister!" She called out in their native tongue.

"What are you doing here? Why are there battleships here sister?" Evangeline spoke in a hurried, confused voice. Her rich voice singing in the musical language of the elves.

"Anasterian sent us here to honor the pledge we made with the humans of Arathor." Alleria spoke solemnly. "As you might know, Sir Anduin Lothar, the commander of the alliance forces here, is the last true descendent of the Arathi bloodline."

Evangeline nodded in understanding, "so our king sent you to help with the war?"

"No," Alleria sniffed contemptuously "he sent a battalion to help; me and my rangers come by

choice, I believed more should have been sent to help the humans."  
>"I agree, he sent merely one battalion?" Evangeline said in disgust, looking behind her friend at the awaiting elves.<p>

Alleria continued silently, "he also sent me to tell you that you are to return to Quel'thalas until

the war is over."

"Absolutely not! I'm not going to go cowering home when I made the decision to come here."

She steamed angrily, foreign words spilling from her mouth; the gathered humans looked on mystified by the musical words spoken by the two women.

"Don't worry sister, my Farstriders and I will help Lordaeron as well, it's our duty after all" Alleria smiled fiendishly, while Evangeline smiled back.

"Lady Evangeline, if I might impose for a moment." Uther the Lightbringer had moved forward toward the two elves. "But what exactly is going on here?"

Evangeline looked to him and back to Alleria, who smiled in support. "We're going to help you win this war." She said with a grin on her face.

Alleria and her forces had left a couple days ago with the main alliance army, led by Commander Anduin Lothar, his second in command Turalyon and the wizard Khadgar. Evangeline had wanted to go with them, not only to help in the war against the orcish horde, but also to catch up with her old friend. They had not had nearly enough time to speak, during Alleria's stay in Lordaeron, but she found that she could respect the king's decision to keep her here. It was Arthas that was complaining.

"Father, I should be out there on the front lines, fighting alongside my people. Not cooped up here like a cowering noble!" He called angrily.

Eva had never seen Arthas so upset, his anger frightened her and the negative emotions flooding the room threatened to suffocate her.

"Arthas, I am king, and as long as I'm king you will follow my rules." Terenas shouted at his son as Eva sat in the background, wishing to be anywhere but here.

Arthas stalked off angrily, throwing cold, contemptuous stares at his father. Both men had been locked in a fierce struggle for dominance the whole week, the king stood by his rule and Arthas was not able to leave the confinements of the castle. Unfortunately, neither was Eva.

"I'm sorry ambassador, but it's not safe for you to be roaming the countryside, the horde is snapping at our feet. I don't want you running off and getting hurt." He had said.

Calia was no more of a comfort, "why would you even want to be out there fighting? Have you ever seen one of those monsters? They're these massive green brutes that want nothing more than to decapitate your head, oh it's so tragic." She exaggerated extensively, although Eva doubted she even noticed. Calia probably believed every word she was saying.

_They can't be that bad, can they_? Even when she voiced her thoughts to Marwyn, she received the same reaction.

"Evangeline, promise me you will not set foot outside the castle walls!" He had told her forcefully, grabbing her softly by the shoulders. "I know you can take care of yourself, but, those things are dangerous. Even if they lack in cunning, they make up for it in brute force. We found one within the castle perimeters the other day and we have yet to catch it."

Marwyn's words were enough to keep her from venturing outside, she trusted him. She could believe what he said, but after a couple days of confinement, she couldn't care less what would happen. She just wanted out.

Days went by deathly slow, the minutes inching by in silence. Evangeline played constantly with Paco when she was not fulfilling her duties as ambassador, but even Paco needed to rest sometimes. This day had been like all the others lately, she walked down the halls alone, nothing to do, nothing to see. She'd been around this castle a million times now.

Calia was sleeping, Falric and Marwyn were busy, Arthas was – brooding. _Ugh, there's absolutely nothing to do. What I wouldn't do for a little entertainment_.

Her boredom had bested her reason, her youthful rebellion triumphed against her maturity, and Eva silently stalked into the room to her left, pushed a large drawer away, and slid down a tunnel leading to the outdoors.

The sun kissed her skin, and wind hugged her body, it had felt like a lifetime since she had come outside last. She breathed in the comforting smells of the outdoors, _rain, of course. _But she didn't mind, the rain was a welcomed reprieve of her previous situation, and she danced happily into the gardens, while mindfully avoiding the sharp eyes of the royal guard.

Evangeline moved through the bushes in a rapturous joy, her hands brushing through the wet leaves. She came to her seat by the willow tree, looking up to make sure Marwyn wasn't there; she entered and lay down on the cold stone. She had lain there for hours, looking up into the grey sky as the raindrops fell onto her smiling face. Her quiet euphoria keeping her from paying attention to her surroundings.

_Crack_.

Her ears snapped up and her eyes opened, alert for any movement in the vicinity. Looking around, upward, left, right, Evangeline moved slowly from her seat. Not making any sudden movements and willing the light that she made no sound.

She backed up silently in a bed of rose bushes and nestled herself inside, thorns probing every inch of her body painfully. She looked out quietly from her hiding spot, noticing a humongous green creature move onto the grass, clasping in its huge burly hands, an axe twice the size of her body.

Stifling a whimper, she backed away silently from the horrid sight, moving quietly through her red haven. _Snap_. Evangeline's heart sank into her stomach; the green creature lurched into the roses, and barreled straight towards her. Swinging its massive axe back and forth, back and forth, like the pendulum of a clock.

She jumped out of the way at the last second, thanking the light she was wearing her leather trekking gear today. The orc swung its head to meet hers, its red eyes glinting hatefully down at her. She scrambled up and made a run for the tree, easily outrunning the clumsy oaf. But the orc was not dazed for long, and soon gave pursuit, running swiftly in a straight line. Evangeline couldn't run forever and could feel the years of inactivity catching up to her. She desperately climbed the willow tree, climbing up its ancient trunk and sitting at the top of its primeval crown. She looked down at the lumbering beast below, yelling up at her and shaking its fists angrily.

"Why don't you go pick on someone your own size, you big brute?" She yelled down at the orc.

Smiling it picked up its axe and began chopping at the ancient willow tree.

_Oh no_. Eva wanted her sword, she wanted her armor, if she had them, she wouldn't be in this mess_. If I get out of this, I promise I'll listen, to everyone! I think I'm also going to enchant that damn sword so I actually have it when I need it_! She thought with a roll of her eyes. The tree began to sway beneath her feet, only a matter of time now. _When this tree comes crashing down, I will need to fight. There's no telling how much damage I can actually do with my bare hands, but it's better than sitting there and waiting to die_.

Evangeline closed her eyes and thought of all her loved ones. She thought of her mother and father, Paco, Ali'isha, Bren'de and Amorae. She also thought of King Terenas and Lianne, Calia and Arthas, and of course Marwyn. Why didn't she listen to him? He had warned her about exactly this, how ironic it is. She looked down, the beast was nearly done cutting through the wood, soon she would know death's cold embrace. _Nothing lives forever_, someone had told her, how foolish she had been to deny it, everything dies, even elves. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the sickening crunch of metal to wood.

"Hey orc, why not pick on someone your own size?" A loud voice resounded. Her eyes flung open. Marwyn? Here? Why? She didn't listen to him; he should have left her here to her fate. Let her die to the blade of this savage.

"Marwyn, go away! I don't want you to get hurt." She called down to him.

"Eva, shut up! Stay right where you are, and for the love of the light _DON'T MOVE_!" He yelled to her, the green haze of his helm glaring up at her in fury. She shivered at his anger, she knew she deserved it.

The orc was confused; the elf was much easier prey, but the man was a more accessible target. Grinning to himself, the orc heaved and brought the axe down onto the tree.

The willow groaned as the blade cut through its body, its flesh ripping, tearing, dust spouting out as a fountain of blood. Its lifeless carcass plummeting to the mossy floor, its visitor falling in tow.

Marwyn charged at the distracted orc, slicing his blades through its glowing green skin. The orc roared in fury, turning to meet his assailant, he swung his massive axe toward Marwyn. Jumping out of the way skillfully, Marwyn spun around to hack the orc as he lumbered to regain his balance.

Evangeline felt the earth spinning around her, the sky burning its image in her mind, the rain falling coolly on her face. The macabre clouds danced tauntingly in the sky, smiling down at her, teasing, always teasing. Her eyes closed, she heard the sounds of metal against metal, sword against skin. Who was winning? Is Marwyn still alive? Had he saved her? Or had she killed him? Gotten him hacked to pieces by the burly monster that would finish her off soon enough? _Clang_, the weapon swung again, hitting a lifeless body. The sounds stopped, it was just like that day beneath her now dead tree, except this time the silence was provoking, it sneered at her contemptuously. She cried in silence, not able to find her voice, not able to breathe, until she felt a touch on her arm. It was cold and delicate, tugging at her body, freeing her from her wooden prison. It carried her numbly home, and set her down silently on a bed.

Evangeline woke up, how long she had been out? She did not know. She was tucked into her bed, Paco sleeping peacefully at her side. On the table to her right she noticed a glass of water, which she drank greedily, and a bottle of an oozing purple liquid. She sniffed at the bottle and wrinkled her nose in disgust. _Foul stuff_.

She made a move to sit up, but found her body ached chaotically, sharp pains shot throughout her spine and muscles. She let out a tiny whimper.

Instantly the doors to her room flung open and Marwyn marched in. "Eva, are you alright?" He asked in concern.

"Wha – Marwyn, what are you doing here?" She asked, clearly confused.

"Taking care of you. You took a pretty nasty fall from that tree after the orc chopped it down. What were you doing out there anyway? I told you it was dangerous." He said; his green eyes boring into her blue ones.

"I was bored." Evangeline answered pitifully.

"You. Were. _Bored_?" He asked robotically. "I risked my life Eva, and you could have died! Just because you were _bored_?" He asked calmly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Aren't you going to yell at me?" She asked in a frail voice.

"Why would I do that?" He asked, repulsed at the idea.

"Because you should."  
>"That's a terrible thing to say Eva, I would never yell at you."<p>

"I want you to yell at me."

"What?"

"Marwyn, I want you to yell at me, curse me out, shout profanities, get mad at me please."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

Evangeline looked at his face sadly; he was staring at her in confusion. "I would feel much better if you yelled at me." She whispered in a strained voice.

Marwyn moved his hand up to her face and brushed away a tear that formed at the corner of her eyes. "I wouldn't, you've been through enough. What happened to you is punishment enough."  
>"No it isn't."<br>"Go to sleep Eva."

"Marwyn?"  
>"Yes?"<p>

"Will you stay here tonight? To protect me? Keep me safe from monsters?"

He looked into her eyes and kissed her forehead softly. "I would do anything for you."

* * *

><p><strong>Cheesy? Check<strong>

**Cute? Check**

**Makes no sense? Check**

**I always wondered why in movies,**

**the characters fall in love so quickly =S**

**I still don't know...**

**Regards ~ EvaStar***


End file.
